Chapter 28: Episode 26

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Women were terrifying creatures, but tsunderes… They were in a league of their own! How long had this gone on? How long had I been scolded by Rin? It had got to be at least half an hour, right? Wrong. Barely five minutes had passed and I already felt ten years older. "R- Rin, can you–" I was shushed back to silence before even getting a chance to explain myself. "– Shut up! Just what are you thinking? Why didn't you wait until I wake up?! This whole mess is unnecessary to begin with, you could have left it to the Clock Tower to deal with it!"

"B- But…" I stumbled over my words. I was feeling seriously wronged at this point. Shouldn't she be happy that I was murderously angry at them for hurting her? "– But what?!"

"It might have been a mistake on my part to run straight towards dangers, but if I get a do-over–" I took in a sharp breath, my voice far more stable. "I would do again." I wasn't lying to gather points with Rin either. Killing the Mages wasn't purely for her, the Moonlit World was ruthless and terrifying, if I allowed them to step on me once, it would set a bad precedent in the future. On the other hand, succeeding in dealing with the Mages might be a bit more dangerous, but it would also send a strong message for those who sought to take advantage of me: 'Don't fuck with me'.

"– Urgghh, you're hopeless…  Tell me you have a plan at least?" Honestly, I didn't have one, but I couldn't tell her that now, could I? "Don't worry, everything is in my control." I heard Rin let out a tired sigh through the call as she shuffled about. Although I had a feeling Rin wasn't buying it, since she wasn't calling me out, I had no reason to shoot myself in the foot. "– I should have known…" She murmured quietly. "– Do you even know who you are up against and which House they belong to? I can't be there with you in person, but maybe my information can provide you aid?"

Damn, what should I say in this situation? Rin might have let me off with the prior half-assed answer, but admitting to my lack of knowledge was just begging for troubles. 'Of the Thirty-six Stratagems, fleeing is best.' I lightly coughed in my hands. "What's– Rin? *Bzzz* I– Hear you!"

"– I know you're faking it, Leo! Don't you dare hang-up–!" I cut the call short, shakily wiping the cold-sweats that had gathered on my forehead. "Shit… That girl is way too sharp for her own good." I threw the phone away as though it was bearing the plague itself and fell back on the bed with a loud thud. Today hadn't been exhausting or anything, but my mind was occupied by many matters, from the hiding Mages themselves to the Daemon King I had made a deal with, each was a margin more complicated than the last. I looked the ceiling in a daze, contemplating my choices.

I hadn't always picked the best options since my awakening, but I had done what I thought was best at the times. Still, was that enough? Could I truly grow enough to affect the outcome of the Fifth Grail War? Hell, could I even survive until then if I kept acting recklessly like this? Looking at my actions from a different perspective, I had allowed emotions and stubbornness to completely rule over my rationality. Don't get it twisted, I didn't regret it, not at all, but I couldn't continue like this. I couldn't just waddle through life and deadly situations expecting to come out unscathed.

What exactly could I do different? I had been trying to strengthen myself in several different methods, none had yielded fruits and my workout routine Stats-gain had, despite all my effort, come to a complete halt in recent weeks. I supposed building a powerbase for myself like the Mages were doing was a viable option, but cannon-fodders didn't mean shit in the faces of Fate's bigger antagonists and the stronger Martial Artists wouldn't join unless I had something to offer in return for their servitude. Gilgamesh couldn't be counted on due to her stance and ideals.

Kotomine was an insane cultist who, if I were to be frank, likely had an infantile Reality Marble growing in him. "This can't go on…" I needed allies, and I meant actual, dependable allies that could hold their own, not unreliable ones or those who were still kids. Kiyoshi could be that ally if I managed to help them resolve the situation with the rogue Mages. It's not a perfect solution, not by a long shot, but it's the most effective, least troublesome and easiest to accomplish for the current me. Once I had made a name for myself, I could think about cultivating my own forces.

*KNOCK

*KNOCK

*KNOCK

I lazily raised my head. "Who is it?" Seconds later, Okamoto's voice sounded behind the door. Although her tone light as always, the stuttering was almost entirely gone. "I- It's me, Leo-san… I was wondering of you would like to join Eri and I, to scout out the Tower, I meant." That's weird, I didn't think they would want me to intrude. Sure, it was a scouting mission, but with Okamoto's personality and air-headedness, they would end up doing girly activities without a doubt, which would be profoundly uncomfortable for all parties involved should I agree to accompany them.

"Is that fine? Won't it be inconvenient for you two?" I questioned as I approached the door. "I've talked with Eri-chan and she said it would be good to have a Magus there, since… You know, we aren't that familiar with Magecraft and having you around might be useful?" I threw the door open, a faux-hurt expression plastered on my face. "So you two are only using me? I'm hurt, Okamoto-tan! I expected this from Shibata-tan, but not you..." The poor girl frantically tried to apologize with reddened face as I struggled to keep the laughter from bubbling up and out my throat.

"I'm just joking with you, Okamoto-tan." The girl pouted as angry tears threatened to spill. "You're mean, Leo-san. That was mean." I chuckled at the face she was making. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself, I've been getting withdrawal symptoms from a lack of cute girls to tease lately." That did manage to divert Okamoto's attention a bit as a charming blush adorned her visage. "Waa- W- What?" At this point, my grin had widened even further than I had thought possible. It's so easy to tease these girls, like taking candies from a baby. "Alright, so when are we leaving?"

"… You are going to be a sinful man when you grow up, Leo-san." She whispered. Unfortunately for Okamoto, my hearing had been improved far beyond the limits, thus her whispers were akin to loud, hammering shouts to my ears instead. Fortunately for her, I wasn't about to embarrass the poor girl any more than already I had. "Well? When are we leaving?"

"Uhmm… We will leave in two hours? Eri-chan and I have to get ready first." Two hours? Yeah, if I had actually believed that then my last life would have been utterly wasted! I wasn't a Casanova or anything, but I had dated and fooled around a few times. I knew for a fact that the estimated duration they usually took to get ready was simply that: Estimation. One that was often, if not always faulty and inaccurate. "Got it, when you guys are ready, just call me." I went to close the door. "W- Wait!" I raised a questioning eyebrow at Okamoto. "Leo-san, do you have any other outfit besides suits? Preferably something more inconspicuous?"

I looked down at my dress shirt, then back at Okamoto. "I… Don't think I do?" – "I see, I see." She nodded patronizingly. "Wait for me a bit, I have a brother around your age. He visited me two months ago and left a ton of his clothes here."

She suddenly grabbed my biceps and squeezed gently. "You won't fit in his usual clothes, but the baggier ones should work. Alrighty, stay here, I'll be right back." And there she went… Disappearing down the hallway. She was really quick too, like a gust of wind. As shameful as it was to admit, that unassuming appearance coupled with her personality sometimes made me forget she was a certified Martial Genius. Those hands of hers, despite their looks, could and probably had choked the life out of men several times her size. I scrunched my nose, picking at my white shirt.

"I really need more casual clothes…"

.

.

.

It's amazing how much clothes and simple cosmetic changes could completely alter someone's appearance. I no longer wore the expensive, albeit stuffy suits or Church uniforms I spotted previously. In their places were a baggy pair of black jogger, a lightly cream-colored sweater that highlighted my skin and an oversized hooded jacket. My hair had been styled different by Okamoto too, changing from the loose bun behind my head to a heart-shaped, wavy middle-part, a style I definitely wouldn't keep simply due to the resemblance it had to a certain Matou.

Still, it was surprising, if not uncanny to look into a mirror and find someone so wholly different. "Leo-san?" Shibata narrowed her eyes suspiciously at me, her figure swaying gently to the rhythm of the gusts that seemed ever-present. From above, white dots had started to blanket everything, signifying the beginning of winter. It was quite the romantic scene, it's a shame I was a literal child at the moment and Shibata wasn't my type. "It's me." I confirmed, adding after a bit of thoughts. "Okamoto is coming soon."

I sat next to her on the public chair set right outside our base as we sank into comfortable silence, watching the snow floated and danced across the sky. Shibata didn't seem impressed in the slightest, the same couldn't be said for me as I tried to grab at pieces of condensed, frozen droplets. "You look excited, is this your first time seeing snow?" I nodded, still busying myself with the natural phenomenon. "Not exactly, but it's the first time I've seen it slowly descend on a city like this." Shibata hummed in amusement. "According to the records, you're born in Japan, correct?"

"Yeah, why?" I titled my head up to meet her eyes. "Then shouldn't you have seen it plenty of times already? Winter in Japan is almost always accompanied by snow after all." Shit… "Well, the Fuyuki Fire was quite traumatic. I woke up alone in the middle of it with no memories of my past–" Please, please don't call out my bullshit. "Technically, I've never even seen snow before, besides the ones in the fridge that is."

The warmth and pity that slowly, but surely trickled into her gaze was… Upsetting? Although it wasn't the first time I had felt guilty for the real Leonis, there's something so much more raw and emotional when that feeling was invoked by someone other than me. I quickly turned away, unwilling to receive the kindness shown to me– To him by this girl. "You don't have to pity me, I was lucky to survive, the same can't be said about the others who lost their lives that day." Like the real Leo for example. I felt her lift her arm, the abruptness causing cold gusts to bite into my skin.

Then that hand touched my hair. I was ready, so ready to throw her hand off, but I didn't. I didn't know why either, I just didn't. I allowed her to run her fingers through my hair like a child and it was pleasant. 'Good Gods, what is happening to me?' Did this body hold that much influence over my emotional state? Or had my childhood simply made me more susceptible to parental actions done towards me? Regardless of the reason, I was not pleased with this discovery. Sure, I had felt oddly irrational at times, but this? This was different.

**** **** was not an emotional person, he would have weighed the consequences of his choices and he was prone to avoiding confrontational situations that could put him in harm's way. The only time he had participated in a fight, a fight that would end up leaving him both battered and reprimanded by his parents and teachers, was in fourth grade and the fight wasn't even started by him. **** **** wouldn't have done what I had, wouldn't have chosen to save Shiro, or made contact with Rin hoping for the best. Hell, he would have run for the hills the second he met Kotomine face-to-face…

That left me with a big question: Who was I? Or rather, how much of **** **** was still here and present in this body? Was I even him anymore?

"Are you alright? You tensed up." Thankfully, Shibata's voice snapped me out of the existential crisis I was having. I shook off her hand, jumping to my feet. "I'm fine, just feeling a little emotional, that's all." Perhaps sensing my distress, or just unwilling to touch on what was potentially a sensitive topic, Shibata didn't continue with her questions, even though I had an inkling she would have if not for the sake of our lil' scouting mission. "What's wrong with you two?" Finally, Okamoto was done getting ready. I was eager to start our mission, if only to leave this dangerous train of thoughts undisturbed.

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""Nothing."" Both Shibata and I started, a tad too quickly for my liking. "O- Okay."

"Are we walking there?" I asked. I wouldn't have minded it, but it would take up a lot of valuable time. The distance between our current location and the HITC Tower was not one easily covered. "No–" Shibata shook her head. "I already called a cab, it should be here any minute now." She was right, the cab reached our location in less than ten minutes, which I was truly thankful for since the sheer tension between us three was growing thick enough to be cut and spread on slices of bread. When the cab came, I couldn't be more relieved.

…

I used to hate overly talkative cab driver. I didn't mind small talks that ended quickly, but I wasn't a very sociable, or even approachable person in general, meaning any and I did mean any conversation that exceeded three minutes in length was pure unadulterated torture for me, especially when said conversation was initiated by a stranger paid to drive me around of all people. It was just painful to sit through… But now, now I understood. Sometimes, stillness could be so much worse than mindless chatters.

In just one evening, I learnt to appreciate these drivers. That counted as character growth, right? "– So, my daughter put the toy to my neck and acted like she's about to decapitate me!" I shook with shaky laughter. "Four years old and already choosing evil over good, I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried."

"I- *Laugh*- I think you should be impressed, not many people can have such dedication to their chosen path. Besides, at least you know you won't have to worry about her in the future, any boy that dares to break that girl's heart will probably have their noses smashed in by her." Shibata replied, chuckling alongside Okamoto who, as always, just seemed happy to be included in our conversation at all. To be honest, his stories weren't even that funny, heart-warming and wholesome maybe? But definitely not funny. Still, both Shibata and I appreciated them nonetheless, it's better than the awkward quietness prior to this.

"What about you?" I looked up questioningly at the driver. "These two–" He gestured at Shibata and Okamoto. "– Seem local. You? Not so much. Any reason why a Western kid like you are alone at night with two girls, kiddo?"

Shibata gave me a look, which was completely unnecessary. I wasn't about to tell my life-story to a stranger anyways, and it shouldn't be too hard to conjure up a backstory for myself. "My parents and theirs are business partners, they are out doing whatever–" I stressed, dramatically rolling my eyes. Now, I had no mirror around, but I'd like to think I did a pretty decent job playing the part of a disinterested rich kid. "They told me to go play with these two, so here I am…" I shrugged. "Ah, I've never understood why Westerners have such a hands-off approach to raising their kids, but to each their own, I s'pose? How are you finding Japan?"

"It's cool, the foods are good and have variety. People are a lot more polite and standoffish than back home though." – "It's good that you are enjoying your trip… That Tower is the pride of Shibuya–" Unfortunately, not for long. Even if my eventual meeting with the Mages didn't wreck the place, newer buildings would pop up in droves once businessmen and politicians realized the potential profits this country held. "I'm sure you three will find it enjoyable." The driver hit the brake as he bragged, a note of pride clear in his tone. It didn't take long for the Tower to enter our views.

Okamoto excitedly pointed at the skyscraper and spoke about her visits to the place, while Shibata nodded along. As for me? To be honest, I wasn't overwhelmed, having seen way more impressive buildings in my last life. But, I had to admit, the architecture was quite marvelous, it had a soul to it, one rarely seen in the cavalcade of skyscrapers I had visited. The first floor was bustling with people, which only served to add liveliness to its atmosphere.

"Welcome to the HITC Tower, or as us locals like to call it, the Market." I raised an eyebrow at the name, drawing a chuckle from him. "Not the most creative, or impressive name, I know. But, while other owners only rent out theirs to famous brands, the Akayashi promote local products, they even have deals for potential renters as long as they can prove they have lived and grown up here. The name is a tribute to that." Oh? That's quite ingenious, using the locals' pride to profit. It might seem like they were taking a loss for all these deals, but the money they had to spend on marketing would be significantly reduced with the locals doing it for them.

"Here we are, that will be–" I shoved several bills in his hands. "No need for changes." – "This is too much, I can't possibly–" I shut the door as Shibata and Okamoto exited the vehicle, pulling them by their hands while shouting back. "It's fine, use it to buy your daughter something good: Toys, foods..." We successfully escaped to the Tower, or Market as the Shibuyans put it.

"Why did you give him so much?" The one to ask was Shibata as Okamoto was busy looking all over the place, her gaze darting from one store to the next, which was weird, I thought she had come here on multiple occasions already? "It's fine, isn't it? That amount is just chump change for me, if it can help him be a good father to his daughter, then why not?" Shibata looked at our connected hands, gently prying hers away after a few moments. "I see, I didn't expect you would…" The rest of the sentence was barely a whisper, even my hearing couldn't make it out.

But well, I could probably guess what she was trying to say based on the first part. "Don't think too much about it, I'm just a bit guilty that I'm partly contributing to the destruction of their hometown." Sure, Kiyoshi was at war with Ragnarok long before my arrival and the situation would have likely escalated regardless of my presence. Still, I wasn't self-righteous enough to confidently say my existence did not add to the whole mess. Although, in my defense, Ragnarok started this beef first. I was merely here to settle things before the situation could go further out of control.

"Eri-chan, Leo-san! Let's go, I know this ramen store!" I exchanged a wry glance with Shibata as Okamoto practically dragged us behind. "The price is a little steep–" She muttered. "But it should be fine…" The airhead skipped, fingers clutching tightly at our clothes. "Chika, we aren't here to play, we have official business, we can't–" Shibata swallowed her next words as the airhead pouted even harder than I thought possible, her cheeks puffed like a wild chipmunk. "Maybe we can grab something to eat first? I'm hungry." I offered. Now that she mentioned it, I was bloody starving.

Odd, since I distinctively remembered living on a one-meal-per-day policy back in my past life, mostly because I wanted to save money. Come to think of it, I had been eating a lot more than I used to, as in several bowls each meal. Normally, I wouldn't find anything wrong with it, considering this body needed the nutrition to promote growth, but the fact that I had never commented on this, or even throw away the broccoli in my servings, despite having utterly despised the vegetable my entire life was startling. 'If even my eating habits are being affected, then just how much of me is in line with my past-self?'

I felt a tap on my forehead. "Don't frown so much, it doesn't fit your age." … Said the girl whose sole expression was a permanent resting-bitch face. Noticing the look I was giving her, Shibata rolled her eyes. "I'm an adult, we are allowed to frown." – "You are fifteen… Sixteen at most!"

"I'm still older than you, that counts." No, no it didn't! "C'mon, don't let Chika wait." At some point within the last few seconds, Okamoto had run off and was waving at us from dozens of feet away. Drawing gazes from the guys as her bust swayed hypnotically. Though, I did notice not all of them were lustful, some older ones seemed to look at her like they would their granddaughter. 'So this is why Sasaki wants this airhead on a reconnaissance mission… She's a regular.' I strode towards the girl with Shibata following closely.

Finally, we stopped at a ramen store that was... Well, it's not too bad, but I doubted you would find a place like this in a high-end building anywhere else. "It's surprisingly homey." I spoke, drawing the attention of a certain airhead to myself. "It is, isn't it! I love eating here, reminds me of home. If I could, I'd have my dinner here everyday–" She hesitated. "But it's expensive so I can't afford it." – "Don't worry, Chika. We have a 'moneybag' right here, don't we?" Shibata referred to me with a chuckle. My mouth twitched in faux annoyance. I didn't actually mind paying, and honestly, spending time with… Friends?

Yeah, spending time with friends was something I hadn't got to do since middle-school. "I'm hurt, is that all I am to you two?" Shibata swiftly replied. "Yes." Followed by Okamoto's. "Well, you do have the appearance of a troubled, easily-tricked rich kid."  Okay, I resented that! It's one thing to be described as such by Shibata, but Okamoto– The airhead herself? "I don't want to hear that from you!" I pointed at Okamoto, who seemed offended. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" My face went slack as I looked behind her. "Sasaki-san?" Sure enough, she turned like a startled chipmunk to find… Nothing.

"Muuuh! That was mean, Leo-san!" I shrugged, a disdainful smirk making its way to my lips. "You started it." – "Enough you two." Shibata ran a hand through her hair as she interrupted our squabble. "Let's eat, then do what we came to do." Huh, Shibata Eri was quite pretty when she was angry. 'Modern Family' didn't lie after all, it would really save you a lot of troubles if you married a woman who's still hot while angry and/or disappointed… It's a good thing the girl I had a huge crush on in Nasuverse was beautiful in both instances.

Ten minutes later, we were slurping hungrily at our noodles. Well, I was anyways, since the other two just stared at me in disbelief. "How can you possibly eat that? Isn't it spicy?!" Okamoto said, sight still trained on my bowl. Hah, if only they knew, Kotomine was a whole more hardcore than me. In fact, I had personally seen him dumb a bottle-worth of hot sauce on his meal. "It's not that strange, I know someone who will dump in all kind of hot sauces he can get his paws on…" I paused to swallow. "He's crazy like that."

"Suddenly, I don't feel hungry anymore." – "Me neither." Shibata and Okamoto grimaced as they pushed their half-eaten bowls away. "So, what do you know about the building?" I questioned, setting my chopsticks down as Okamoto leaned forwards enthusiastically, eyes gleaming. "Well, the first floor is mostly food stores like the one we're in right now! A few stores down is a really cool BBQ–" I should have expected this… I raised my hand to put her tirade to a stop. "Only information relevant to our job, please." She pouted, but continue anyways.

"W- Well, the first floor is as I said. The second is rented for clothing brands, some local, but mostly the more famous Western ones…" She went on and on, sometimes needing Shibata and I to stop her before she started diverging from the main topic. Overall, it was like this: The first seven floors were rented out to stores that sold a variety of foods, jewelry and clothes. The three after that focused on entertainment like theaters, arcades and such. According to her, there was even an internet coffee on the eighth floor. From there on, the upper floors were occupied and used as offices for smaller companies.

I immediately crossed out the first ten floors. No matter how confident they were in their capability, no Magus would ever risk exposing themselves and their Workshop like that, temporary or not. The peak floor was naturally my first guess, but I doubted it. While most Mages had a superiority complex and would definitely enjoy looking down at the 'common rabbles', the Mages in town seemed too cautious to make such a rookie mistake, meaning the top three floors were out. That left everything in between starting from floor fifteenth and up. "That's still too much…"

Indeed, while I had plenty of charges to spare, I learnt my lesson after that disastrous first Hunt. I couldn't use all of them for something I was certain I could deduce with less special means. "Do you know where the maintenance room and the power grid are?" Shibata crossed her arms thoughtfully. "What are you planning? Most of those should be underneath the building itself, and there will certainly be security measures…" I got comfortable in my chair to think of an appropriate answer, something that could explain my predicament, but wouldn't give away too much.

"My Clairvoyance has certain rules that I need to follow…" I licked my lips, downing the bottle that the owners of this establishment had helpfully brought for our uses a while ago. It's a trick I learnt, pretending to drink water to give yourself more time and make something up. Super convenient for job interviews and business deals. "I can't deduct where they are holding up, but that does not mean there isn't a way to find them. As long as I can get to the power grid, it should be a piece of cake."

"I don't think I know…" Okamoto slumped back in her seat, her form seeming to shrink in on itself. I had expected too much after all, Okamoto didn't look the type to care about power grids and all that. "It's fine if you don't know, your information already helps us a ton." I consoled, while Shibata just sat there, thinking. "I do…" Hmmm? "I know where the power grid is, or at least, I know where the door leading to it is." She did? Shibata looked up from her ramen, hand reaching out to pat Okamoto's head. "While we were going inside, I saw a steel door with electric symbol on it near the entrance.

That should be where the power grid is." That's… Bad. The entrance was always teeming with people and guards, meaning I wouldn't be able to [Mesmerize] my way inside without anyone seeing me, and I couldn't just sneak in either. "Can you guys create a distraction while I sneak in?" That's the best solution, if not, we would have to wait until nightfall to break in. Shibata rubbed her imaginary goatee. "I can try, I guess? No promises though." Eh, that's good enough for me. "Should we go immediately?" Okamoto spoke from the sideline. "No, let's let our bodies digest the food first, the power grid isn't going anywhere.

Besides, most customers should be leaving after a while and I will have an easier time sneaking inside." With our plan settled, we all sat in silence. Thankfully, the owners didn't rush us since they treated Okamoto like their child, but it was getting quite awkward judging from the fidgeting airhead. "So, Leo-san." I titled my head to indicate that I was listening. "Tell us about yourself. I mean, you've lived with us for half a week now, you have fought alongside us and you even have a business deal with our boss, but we still don't know much about you…" Her voice got progressively lower as she saw the look on my face.

"I- It's fine if you don't want to, I'm not forcing you or anything." I ruffled my hair, sighing at the girl who was frantically waving her hands in a desperate attempt to apologize for over-reaching. "No, I don't mind telling you guys a bit, but there isn't much to say, ya' know? My Magecraft aside, I'm a pretty average guy."

She bit her lip, asking hesitantly. "I think I already know what kind of person you are, but what about your family? Your parents? Do they know you are here with us? You've never mentioned them." My sight turned to Shibata, who was turning several shades whiter. "You didn't read the files Kiyoshi has on me?" The girl shook. "It feels wrong to read someone's personal information…" That was in line with her personality. "I wad orphaned by the Fuyuki Fire." That would have, should have killed the conversation right then and there, but I continued despite the awful looks the two girls were spotting now.

"My parents–" And I did mean my parents, not Leonis'. "They weren't bad people, but they weren't good either. They had their flaws, they made mistakes, but they always tried and I loved them for that, like every child should…" I sighed, feeling a sudden tiredness. "I despised them for how they raised me, still do in fact. They weren't bad people, but they were horrible parents." I crossed my legs, frowning at what I was saying. I desperately wanted to stop, this was too personal, then again, what could Kiyoshi do with this bits of information? It's not like they could ever meet my parents anyways.

And truthfully, it felt good to let this out. "They were neglectful, they fought all the time and worse of all, they were bloody stubborn. A lot of my problems stemmed from them, my crassness, my anger. It's hard not to blame them when they had done such terrible job raising me. I guess the only reason why I still consider them my parents is because I know they tried their best. It's just not in their nature…" Silence descended on us as I felt tears pricked my eyes. I breathed in deeply, trying to wash away that heavy feeling in my chest. "My apology, I didn't mean to make you two uncomfortable."

"NO! It- It's my fault for asking, I'm sorry." Okamoto whispered in reply. I forced out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Let's move to a different topic then." Shibata nodded as she tried to regain her composure. "I think it's best we do." – "So, why did you two join Kiyoshi?" The smile on my face felt hollow. Luckily, neither of them pointed that out. 'What a terrible feeling this is.'

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