The chill air within the apartment caused her to nestle herself deeper into her thick layers of blankets, filling her with a warm and cozy sensation. Wrapped up in heat and comfort as she was, the realm of slumber had almost claimed Maki, when she was suddenly jolted to attention by her phone ringing incessantly.

The redhead let out a low, aggravated growl, reaching for the device she had set aside on her night stand. Naturally, the one day she let her guard down and elected not to turn her ringer off, was the night she would be struck so cruelly.

After her eyes adjusted to the painful glare of the screen, she spotted Naoto's name flashing across the screen and most of her irritation dissipated.

"Do you know how late it is?" Maki groaned the moment she answered the call. "I was almost out."

"I am sorry Maki," Naoto's soft, guilt ridden voice came from the device.

Gamo rolled onto her back, resting her head on her soft pillow and covering her face with her suspiciously cold hand. "It's alright Naoto. What's up?"

The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel remorseful for reaching out when he needed her. After all, Maki desperately wanted him to rely on her with everything in life.

"I called Yoshi," he said quickly, causing Gamo to remove her hand from her face to stare at her phone in utter confusion.

"Why?" she asked flatly.

"I wanted to invite her to one of our concerts."

That made sense, Maki told herself. After all, it was Yoshi who had brought them all together, due to her love for their bands music, long before they had figured out who was behind it. Still, it seemed like a rather inopportune moment to set that plan in motion.

"You could have waited," Maki sighed. "She's still struggling with all this shit Hayase dropped on her. It makes sense she wouldn't accept the invitation as she is."

"Oh, but she did," Naoto assured, providing Gamo with further surprises.

"She did what now?"

The redhead was puzzled by the clearly inhuman ability Naoto had to sway people's hearts. How could a guy like that be so oblivious to his own qualities? Was he just playing dumb? Or was he actually that clueless?

Maybe it was Maki who had gone insane.

"Yeah," Naoto confirmed again. "Although, I had hoped to be able to get all four of you together. Help reconcile this, at least somewhat."

Gamo tightly shut her eyes at that revelation. Sometimes, Naoto could be so naïve.

"That was never going to happen," she rightfully pointed out. "Pretty sure Sakura wouldn't even bother to vomit in our general direction, from how she sounded last time. And as much as I wish things could be different between me and Yoshi, I did fuck up royally. I am not looking to push her into trying to forgive me. She has every right to be pissed."

She found herself taking a deep breath, something she wasn't aware she needed, before continuing.

"I don't think I want to see Hayase again either," she admitted. "Not for some time at least. If she loses her shit and decides to hurt herself, I am not going to let that happen, but outside of that, I am just tired Naoto. I don't want to deal with it anymore. I can't stop you, but I'll try regardless."

"Maki, I-"

"Stop," Gamo cut him off, not willing to let him wriggle out of it. "I know you care. Too much for your own good. You can't see it, but you are such a kind soul. It's frustrating, because I want that shit all to myself. And I know you want to be with me. I- Listen, if I am just a conceited bitch, full of herself for no reason, tell me. But I just know I am not. Tell me you don't want to be with me."

Maki suddenly felt herself emboldened, the words falling from her lips reaffirming her beliefs and she found herself unwilling to back down. She quickly pushed herself up right with her free hand, clutching onto the blanket.

"You're terrified of hurting people. You are so cautious, tip toeing about every possible landmine. That's not going to work Naoto. It'll ruin you. Shit happens. People hurt all the time. Plus, Hayase is the least deserving of your care and caution. Stop trying to downplay what she has done to you. It's messed up. I can see it tearing you apart, yet you pretend it doesn't, just so that no one could ever be upset by anything you do."

Gamo found herself struggling to hold back the irritation building inside of her. How much more did she have to push before he figured it all out?

"Tell me," she said, all of a sudden breathless as her emotions took a hold of her. "Tell me that Hayase and I are still equal in your heart. Tell me that you can't be with me, because you can't decide between me and your rapist. I fucking dare you. Break my heart. Do it."

The weight of the silence that followed threatened to crush her lungs, so painful was it for her to continue taking another breath. Maki needed to hear Naoto denounced this potential reality, but there was the chance he would admit to exactly what she had been fearing all along.

As much as Gamo passionately adored and loved Naoto, if he truly considered Hayase to be as important to him as Maki, with everything that had happened, it would make her feel worthless. If that was the reality they lived in, then what had been the point?

Evidently, the rolling buildup of her outburst had struck Naoto unaware, as she could hear him stammer quietly on the other end of the line. Eventually, however, he cleared his throat.

"You're not equal, no," he finally admitted, which only caused Maki to clench her jaw. Was he being vague on purpose? "But I'd rather talk about this in person with you. Please?"

The woman swallowed hard, pressing her nails against her forehead. "Sure. When? Where?"

"I'll send you the ticket," Naoto continued in this vague manner, which was beginning to get underneath Maki's skin.

"A concert?" she exclaimed. "Whatever. I guess I'll see ya there."

"Maki."

The way he spoke her name, full of tender love and longing, momentarily robbed her of breath. The pain and indignation she was experiencing slowly faded, but she was well aware that if she broke and allowed to show a sign of weakness, he would not learn a damn thing.

"I promise," was all she said. "I'll be there."

With that, Gamo hung up and dropped her phone to the side. Tears were biting at her eyes, forcing her to blink them away. No way would she let herself cry over this. Naoto needed to become stronger, for his own sake. This was required. Even if it meant taking her hands off the wheel and letting him take care of it himself.

Despite this understanding, she felt a deep pit in the core of her being. All she wanted was to be with him. It was that simple. What happened after that point wasn't really a concern for her at the moment.

Would he be interested in joining her during her workouts? Would he be alright to have her observe him during his artistic process? Or would she be an unwanted distraction? Could she end up being just incredibly boring to him?

It didn't matter. Not right now.

Maki just wanted to have him to herself.

Naoto held his head in his hands, sitting at the edge of his bed. There were no arguments to be made.

Maki was right, of course.

In fact, realizing just how ignorant, practically disrespectful he had been toward her, made Naoto's vision flash a dangerous hot red. Voices in his mind screamed at him to put a knife to his wrists, but he knew better. His friends deserved better.

Makideserved better.

All this time, being completely absorbed with his desire to not cause anyone besides himself any pain had only led to more heartache around himself. His need to provide happiness to everyone had led him down a trail of misery, which he had littered with the trampled emotions of all he cared for.

Was he really that callous? To not even realize how Maki had been feeling this entire time? Pitting her against the woman that had caused him such physical and emotional harm, because he was frightened of hurting anyone, was unbelievably cruel. It showed such little appreciation, that Naoto had no idea why Maki was still willing to let him dig his way out of the situation.

That was when he thought of Hana.

Instantly, his stomach began spinning out of control and he found himself rushing out of his room and into the bathroom. The wave of nausea hit him hard and fast, without any odds of holding the flood back. All he could pray for was that no one would hear the horrific noises his throat was producing.

Not only had Hana supported him throughout his entire recovery process, despite his complete ignorance to her deeper feelings toward him, but she then had to watch him slowly fall back in with the same woman that had left him broken in the first place.

Looking back at it now, it almost felt as if Hana's declaration of love was a desperate last ditch effort at keeping him safe, claiming him as her own, just to shield him from further negative influence and pain.

Yet her love and dedication had only been rewarded with further heartache and separation from his life.

Once the acidic nightmare ebbed, Naoto leaned his back against the cold wall beside the toilet, needing a moment to just absorb these realizations.

Everything was fucked. Naoto had handled every development as poorly as he possibly could have.

A do over. Somehow, he just needed the ability to try again, to do better the second time around. But he knew that was not an option. It was never going to happen.

Time slowed for none and it most certainly would not bend for him.

History abhors a paradox.

All he could do now, was try to make up for his mistakes and do his best going forward. However much good that could even do at this point.

"Naoto?"

God damn it.

"What's up?" Naoto spoke, keeping his voice as casual as possible.

"The hell do you mean!?" Tadano yelped outside the door. "I heard you choking to death in there. Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Naoto shook his head, slightly amused by how worried Tadano could get about him. "I'm fine. Just revolted by myself."

"That doesn't sound all that fine to me."

"You should try it sometime," Naoto chuckled, his throat burning from the painful experience.

"Can I come in?" Tadano sighed, causing Naoto to roll his eyes.

"I'll kill you."

After a moment of silence, Naoto could hear Tadano step away from the door, most likely returning to his room. Or at least sitting down on the couch, waiting for him. That sounded more like him.

Well, Naoto would win this game. He could just remain in this bathroom for the rest of the night, until Tadano had to surrender. The man would go back to his room and lay down to sleep, falling into restless dreams, anxious about the mental health of his best frie-

No.

Tadano also deserved way better.

Naoto sighed, pushing himself back up from the ground. Taking a glance at himself in the mirror caused an uncomfortable shudder to go through him. He was deathly pale and his eyes were bloodshot. Grabbing his toothbrush, Naoto quickly took his best shot at attempting to downplay what had occurred in here.

Once he felt somewhat presentable, Naoto awkwardly shuffled out of the room, spotting Tadano, as expected, parked on the couch.

"Seriously?" Naoto asked with a smirk. "Still here, huh?"

"Yup," was the flat response as Tadano patted the spot next to him on the couch. "Sit."

Naoto shrugged and did as he was told, sitting beside his friend. Tadano glanced at him quickly, taking note of his run down look and sighed.

"What happened?"

"What hasn't?" Naoto asked rhetorically. "I am a sack of shit."

Tadano slowly shook his head, his features soft and empathetic. "You're not."

"Sure am."

"Shut it," Tadano groaned. "How often do we have to dance this dance? I am accepting of most, but I don't care for shitty people the way I do for you."

"Aw, Hitohito," Naoto swooned as a jest, earning him a frustrated glare from Tadano.

"I will resort to violence, Naoto."

Naoto smirked; his spirits lifted by the rise he could get out of Tadano. Occasionally, he was self aware enough to assume that Tadano exaggerated some of his reactions, well aware of how enjoyable it was for him. If that inkling was true, it would only further emphasize how much of a friend Tadano truly was to him.

"I just now realized how messed up this all has been," Naoto explained, having enough of beating around the bush.

Tadano sat up straight, resting his head against the couch. "Do tell."

"Hana, right?"

"Yup."

"I basically told her to get away from me," Naoto oversimplified the situation.

Tadano reacted accordingly, his jaw falling open. "Why!? Why am I only hearing about this now!?"

"She told me she loved me," Naoto added quietly, drawing only more confusion from his friend. "And I didn't want her to have to suffer through that."

"You're an idiot," Tadano said. "I just need you to know that. You're not horrible. You're not an ass. You're not whatever scum you think yourself of. But you are stupid."

"That's reassuring."

Naoto suddenly leaned over, comfortably resting his head on Tadano's shoulder. To his absolute shock, Tadano did not move away, but rather allowed him to remain there.

There were so many remarks and sarcastic comments that Naoto wanted to throw out right away, but he held his tongue, surprised by how much this small gesture meant to him. It truly eased his worries.

"Gamo made me realize just how horrible it's been," Naoto quietly continued. "That to Hana and herself, having to compete with Nagatoro of all people was just..."

Tadano hummed in agreement. Most likely, his closest friend had a lot to say about the situation Naoto had put himself in, but he mercifully kept his thoughts to himself for the time being.

"So, seeing that shit from their point of view for the first time, really, it just- It's awful. That's why I am awful. Why I felt awful. Why I repainted our toilet bowl."

"Gross," Tadano snickered. "You better clean that."

"I'll get around to it, probably."

The two of them let silence fill the room, comfortable within each others presence. Naoto wondered how long he was going to hold onto this view of himself as the worst kind of imbecile. It was hard to let it go, considering he always found himself stepping into another pothole. But he also had wonderful friends like Tadano, willing to lift him up when he was just simply too much for himself.

How much longer would they be willing to look after him? How many more times could he lean on Tadano in this way, before that lifeline snapped?

"Naoto?"

"What's up?" Naoto asked, shifting his head a little to glance up at Tadano.

His friend was staring at nothing in particular, lost in his own thoughts. "I believe in you. I know you will make the right call. You're an idiot. But you're like a smart idiot."

"Wow," Naoto snorted. "That was inspirational. Thanks buddy."

"You're welcome."

One thing left to do for the night.

Naoto stood in his room again, which was illuminated only by the small desk lamp behind him. Having sent Tadano back to his room to spend time with Komi, Naoto had begun steeling himself for this next, incredibly reckless move.

It was way too late in the evening. She was going to be furious.

Lamenting the lack of any reasonability left within him, Naoto picked up his phone to make the call.

This was going to bring a world of pain, he could just feel it, tingling in the back of his neck.

"Naoto...?"

The absolute bewilderment in her voice was truly palpable. A not so insignificant part of Naoto wanted to grin at her inability to keep her shock under wraps, but he knew this was hardly the right time for that.

"How are you Sakura?" he asked, hoping to start of casual and comfortable.

"I- I am well."

"Good. Happy to hear."

Naoto cringed at how painfully bland he must have sounded to her, but it occurred to him, rather viciously, that he and Sakura had spent even less time on their own, one on one, than he had with Yoshi. This made trying to open the conversation with anything interesting a little difficult.

Luckily, Sakura was not one to play his slow boil game. "It's close to midnight. If you ask me about the weather next, I might blow a fuse."

"I shall refrain."

"Good," the woman responded, far softer than he would have expected. "Now. To what do I owe this call?"

Naoto was genuinely astonished at Sakura holding a regular conversation with him, despite the information she had been made privy to. Doubt had plagued him, about the prospect of ever conversing with her under normal circumstances again. Now, it felt rather silly for him to have fretted so.

"I'd like to invite you to one of our concerts," Naoto explained.

"Oh?"

Suddenly the kind, overtly gentle tone had been invaded by something more reserved. It was just barely perceptible, yet it was clear as day to Naoto.

"Don't worry, you don't have to pretend to like our music."

"That's not the problem Naoto," Sakura replied swiftly. "I very much enjoy your band."

The man couldn't help it, as the pride swelled up in his chest thanks to her comment.

"I am just not so sure," Sakura continued. "If it's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Naoto, please. Don't play stupid with me."

Oh no.

"I can't understand why," she said. "You would ever let Nagatoro remain in your life, but I know that you're aware she told us. You've never called me like this before."

"First time for everything," Naoto tried to lighten the mood.

"Stop."

Well, it was worth a try.

"Since you know," Sakura pushed on. "I refuse to enable this. I don't know why you're trying to invite me, but if it's to reconcile something-"

"It's not," Naoto assured her. "I promise. I am not that clever, to scheme of bringing you all together. I just- I'd like to talk to you."

"Why?"

Naoto desperately wanted to have an answer to that question, but his mind was an enigma even to himself.

"Please?" he asked in a submissive tone, which forced a defeated sigh from Sakura's lips.

"Fine. I- It's not like I don't want to Naoto. I hope you know that I like you. I do consider you my friend."

Naoto smiled sheepishly. "Right back at ya."

"I just feel like spending time with any of us, wouldn't be good for you. I'd be a constant reminder of what happened."

"Sakura, I appreciate the concern, but I am fine."

"You're not," she countered with a scoff. "If you were, you'd have torn that woman a new one and kicked her to the curb."

"No, mentally, I am a mess. But I'm holding up fine."

"Doubtful."

"And you feel the same about Maki?"

Naoto knew that Sakura was upset over Maki having kept quiet for Hayase's sake, but he was desperately hoping that he could recover even just slight bit of the friendship that cracked wide open due to him.

"Yes," Sakura responded sharply. "She's enabled Nagatoro this entire time. She says she has your best interest in mind, but then she continues to stand by her. It's despicable."

"If it helps, she said she doesn't want to see Nagatoro again either."

"it's a little late for that now, Naoto."

"What did Yoshi do?"

Naoto knew instantly that his inquiries were approaching a line they should not overstep, but it felt needed.

Despite his fear that Sakura would grow irate at him, a low groan is all she produced.

"Naoto," the woman spoke, quieter than before. "Some things just aren't that simple. I'd rather not open up about everything on my mind on a random day at midnight."

"Fair enough," Naoto conceded. "Thank you for picking up, and thank you for accepting my invitation. I'll let you know the details as soon as possible."

"Did I accept now? Alright. And Naoto?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of yourself."

With a beep, Sakura's voice vanished, leaving Naoto in silence.

That did not end up going quite as well as Naoto had hoped for, but at least it hadn't turned into a dumpster fire.

With Sakura having made it clear that there was no hope for any sort of repair of their damaged friendships, Naoto could only look ahead to his own fraught plans, if he could even call them that.

All the man knew was that, the next time he met them, could potentially be the last time.