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Chapter Text

It's raining quite heavily. Tsuiteru Machiko never liked this weather because it felt as if someone's crying from the heavens. She held her umbrella and she found Mikoshiba sitting against Michiyo's grave. He's not doing anything. He's just sat there with his hood up. She couldn't see his expression so she couldn't tell if he was crying or not. Even after six years, he never moved on as he said he should. Even though he said he hated Michiyo for lying to him, he continued to visit her grave to watch flowers bloom during Spring; he stayed by her side during the sunny days of Summer; kept her company in the comfortable temperature of Fall, and he would build a snowman next to her grave when snow pile up during Winter. "Michi won't be happy if you catch a cold. Come on, let's go back in."

"...right." Mikoshiba got up and he walked ahead of her.

If it was in the past, Machiko would have went 'Oi, get up brat. You'll catch a cold and I'll be damned if I have to take care of your bratty ass.' but ever since Michiyo died, all bickering came to a halt between them. 

"...you should stop visiting us so often. You're fat." 

"It's called 8 months pregnant, you brat." 

"...right." 

Were they trying to bicker so they could feel reminiscent of Michiyo watching them argue in the background? They could bicker all they want if they want to now but Michiyo will not be there to tell them to stop...bickering became meaningless.

"There you are. I knew you'd be looking for the brat." 

Machiko looked at her husband. "Hancho..." As much as she loved her husband, she missed the kind part of him. 

Mikoshiba didn't say anything and he walked past Hancho. 

"You're not going to say things like 'I'm 21 now! I'm an adult!'?" Hancho asked, trying to instigate an argument from Mikoshiba.

Was he trying to pick a fight with him for old time’s sake?

The 21 year old male looked at Hancho and he sighed as he took out a packet of cigarettes. He stuck a cancer stick into his mouth and he walked away as he lit the end with a lighter. Mikoshiba sort of matured. He's not purposely starting an argument for the fun of it. Was it because there's no one there to watch him? 

Hancho held Machiko's umbrella and he stood in front of Michiyo's grave with her. Who knows what he's saying to Michiyo? Hancho kept all his words to her silently in his heart.

Holding her husband's hand, Machiko started to silently cry. 

Hancho glanced at Machiko. "The rain is heavy." His left shoulder was slightly wet because of the droplets from the umbrella just so the rain couldn't touch Machiko. Even so, he blamed the rain. 

"Hm..." There's never a day where Machiko didn't miss Michiyo. The day the young girl died, everyone's phantoms couldn't be brought forth, and the kind side of Inukai never appeared. It was as if the kind and sometimes clumsy prison guard died too.

"He's not dead." Hancho suddenly said to her. "I can't bring back Michiyo. The least I can do is try to bring him back to you." Six whole years, Hancho did his best to try and bring the other Inukai Yuto back to her but even he couldn't reach him. What will it take for the other Inukai Yuto to come back?

"I know, Hancho. I know." She squeezed Hancho's hand, completely understanding how he's been trying to hold everything together. It's because he's here, she's able to cope with everything. "I love you." 

"Ah." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unlike the day, rain no longer enveloped Japan in a downpour. The night sky was clear but the ground was wet. Even so, it did not stop those who thrived in the night life to come out and play. Kaida Shion was no exception and he's not going to let bad weather from the day stop him from enjoying the night. He will never say this in front of Machiko but ever since the kind Inukai stopped showing up, the rules were much more laxed to the point he's able to sneak out whenever he felt like it. 

"Ah! It's Shion~!" 

"Shion~!" 

The moment the ladies saw Shion, the most open ones who had too much to drink threw themselves at him. Shion loved the attention from these people whose face he had forgotten. His attention was on the one sneaking her hand into his shirt that's half buttoned up. 

"Oh, you're quite a daring kitten~." Shion loved the night life. Everyone here was just like him and they're here for a good time. 

A young man leaned in close to Shion's ear. "Yo, Shion, your fly's open." One of the club frequent visitor who liked the night life as much as Shion pointed downward. 

"And here I thought you are finally enlightened and wanted to play with me~." Shion zipped his pants up again; he had fun outside before he came in. Shion was fine with playing with both men and women; anyone up for a good night was invited after all. Fun excluded nobody. 

"Come on, Shion. You know I like girls. I like the one touching you up right now." The guy was amazed the girl was wearing such a short skirt! Was she even wearing panties?! Even better- how about none?! 

"Hmm~, I like her too but you can play with her together with me." 

"You're such an ass but I like it." 

Shion chuckled at the young man's words. "I hope you know what you're doing during a threesome." One time Shion had a threesome with another guy and a girl, he felt like he was teaching the guy sex ed all over again.

"Hey, don't put my abilities down like that." 

Shion and the girl laughed. It's not even been an hour and Shion scored himself another good time through a threesome. The three of them went to somewhere more private to have their fun.

Shion couldn't really remember their names even though the guy talked to him like they're good friends. A lot of people in different clubs know of Shion...but Shion could never remember them properly. Girls especially remember him but he's always able to play it off that he remember them with a handsome smile and a very good time in bed. He could connect with so many people in the language of love making but he could never connect with them properly. Why was that? No matter how close they were, they always felt so far away from him. Was there something wrong with them? Or was there something wrong with him?

"Well I must have had a good time. I came lots into the condom. Want to have a look~?" At the very least, he had the decency to tie it up but he was still vulgar enough to show the white liquid inside the translucent plastic to the threesome participants.

"You're so disgusting, Shion, but that's why I like ya. Come back inside and have shots with us!" The guy found it funny for some reason. 

"I'd like that but I need a cigarette to recharge myself." 

"Oh yeah, smokin dog~! Whoo!" The guy and the girl stumbled away, already half drunk and nowhere near wanting to go home. 

Shion leaned against the brick wall of the back alley as he took out a cigarette from his packet. "Oh, that girl wasn't wearing panties after all." Shion couldn't remember taking them off so he just randomly remembered it. Somehow, that was more important than remembering her name. "What was the guy's name again?" Oh well, he will just go back inside the club and pretend to know them. The flickering light from the broken lamp served no help either; how was he supposed to remember their faces? He's already struggling with names! 

They had a threesome in the back alley of the nightclub. It's a messed up place to do such intimate thing but when it's all just a good game, why did the setting matter? "I wonder if I have played with her before? She looked like she was having such a good time..." They kissed and all, she seemed happy but he didn't feel anything from it. He wondered what the girl felt when they kissed and connected...

"Hey, Mister? Give me a light, will you?"

Shion stopped looking up at the sky in wander and he looked at the girl who approached him. Was it just him or did her voice sound familiar? "Are you old enough to smoke?" 

"Fuck you, I'm 21." She sound so familiar to him...

"So rude, but I like it. Here, light." 

The girl put a cigarette to her mouth and she shield the end of the cigarette from the wind as she used the small flame from Shion's lighter to light it up. "Thanks." She blew smoke at Shion's face and he liked that very much. 

"You're welcome. What's a cute girl like yourself doing out here?" He couldn't see her face properly in the dark but all girls were cute to him. The flickering light did let him know she had pink hair as beautiful and pink as cherry blossoms during Spring. She sounded cute so he pictured she must be cute. Why did her voice sound familiar to him though?

"Trying to get away from some asshole. I have better things to do than ending up in a dingy love hotel with some random guy. What about you?" 

"I just had a threesome."

"Out here? With broken glass and the place smelling like urine? You have to be shitting me." 

"Beggars can't be choosers and my home have people in there and I don't think they'd like it when I bring strangers over." 

"One guy two girls?" She asked him. 

"Two guys one girl. I don't think the girl was wearing panties." 

"Why is that one the most important detail to you?! Hahaha~!" 

Shion smiled. He wondered why that laughter just then sounded familiar to him. He felt comfortable hearing this girl's voice for some reason. He wanted her to talk more. He felt like something was lost ages ago and now he found it again. "Has anyone ever said you have a nice voice?" 

"Have they now? I'm often told to shut up so I wouldn't know. You're probably the first one to ever tell me that." The girl laughed a little, "You say I have a nice voice but have you heard yours? You can read me a bed time story and I'll fall asleep in an instant."

Why did Shion suddenly remember Michiyo? 

The broken light from the back alley finally stopped flickering and it's shining brightly, giving visibility to those who were enjoying the night. 

"Oh? The light finally decided it's not dying tonight." She's finally got a proper look at him. She was a little surprised at first because of the scale-like mark on his left cheek but she smiled at Shion. "Well, aren't you handsome?" 

Shion was finally seeing the girl properly. Looking at her face shocked him to the point he almost dropped his cigarette. "Haha...are you serious?" While holding the cigarette between his fingers, he covered his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing.

"Hm?" The girl with pink hair and blue eyes was visibly confused. "Something the matter?"

Shion finally realized why the 21 year old girl sounded familiar to him. Slowly, dragged his hand down so his red eyes could look into her blue eyes. The hand that covered his eyes covered his mouth.

Shion suddenly remembered a random conversation he once had with only the guys in GokuLuck six years ago...

"Mikoshiba-kun, you're so mean to Michiyo-chan." Inukai was happy Michiyo and Mikoshiba confessed to one another and all but he couldn't understand why Mikoshiba was still the same to her in terms of attitude because he was still mean to her. 

"Hah? Who the hell said I will be kind to Flowers for brain? I'm not changing for nobody and she knows that." 

"I feel sorry for her." Ryoga said in a blunt way. 

"I feel sorry for her lack of brain." Mikoshiba shot back. 

"You are the worst." 

Shion laughed, "That being said, you sure are lucky, Shibaken. I can tell Michiyo-chan will grow up and become even cuter once she turns 21." 

"21 year old Michiyo-chan?" Inukai wondered about that. He'd imagine Michiyo growing a little taller and still look cute. "Michiyo-chan will be so cute~." Inukai looked so happy imagining it.

"Her kindness plus that face is a dangerous weapon." Ryoga was always glad Michiyo was closer to Mikoshiba's age because if she was closer to his and Shion's age, he will definitely have a crush on her!

"Oi! Why are you all thinking about Flowers for brain as an adult?! Quit aging her up?!"

Shion chuckled, "Don't tell me you've never imagined it, Shibaken." 

"Even if I have, I wouldn't fucking tell any of you?!"

Michiyo opened the balcony door and she came outside to them holding a bowl of grapes. 

"I've washed the grapes so let's have some." Michiyo said with a happy smile but one side of her cheek was stuffed like a hamster's.

"Why do we have grapes?" Ryoga asked. "They're big." 

"Machi bought them. She said I should wash them and eat them with everyone." 

Mikoshiba looked at her with suspicions in his eyes, "Flowers for brain, I bet you shoved the biggest ones into your mouth!" 

"...no?" 

"Liar! I can tell by your cheek!" 

"Hee...?!" Michiyo ran away when Mikoshiba tried to pinch her stuffed cheek! 

"Mikoshiba-kun?!" Inukai had to stop Mikoshiba from bullying her again! 

"They're at it again..." Ryoga said as he ate a grape. "It's sweet." 

Shion chuckled and he helped himself to a grape. "Michiyo-chan is a sweet girl. I want to see her grown up."

"Why? So you can bed her? I won't let you do that." 

"Pfft~." Shion looked at Michiyo and Mikoshiba's way and he smiled warmly at the sight of them. He wanted to see them together all the time.

That one day will never come because Michiyo died. Michiyo died with a smile on her face knowing she saved Mikoshiba. She died giving everyone her last message. She died not knowing GokuLuck was still coping with the pain her death caused. Shion couldn't connect with others but perhaps part of him did connect with Michiyo heart to heart because he could remember Michiyo through this pink haired girl who shared the exact same voice and the exact same face as Michiyo. 

"Michiyo-chan..." 

Chapter Text

Being called another name, the pink haired girl smiled in amusement at Shion as this was the first time someone mistaken her for someone else. Unlike Michiyo whose smiles were full of innocence, this girl's smiles were more sultry with hints of playfulness. "I'm not Michiyo." She simply said to Shion.

What was he expecting? He should have known the answer because he was there when Michiyo died. Perhaps there was a small part of him who wished through some impossible miracle this girl really was Michiyo. Shion smiled in an awkward way as if scrambling for an excuse that sounded normal, "Ah...sorry. You just look like someone I know." 

The girl inhaled her cigarette and she blew smoke out in a lazy manner. She had all the time to spend standing here and listening to Shion talk. She liked his company. "How much do I look like her?" 

"Your voice and your face. If she grew up, she will look like you..." He reached his hand out to her strands of pink hair. His fingers weaved into her hair. Her hair was soft to the touch. Was he trying to reach Michiyo?

The girl stayed where she was. She didn't mind Shion was seeing someone else through her. 

"Michiyo-chan was very adorable. She smiled over the simplest of things as well as get upset over the simplest of things. She was a very simple girl and we all spoiled and protected her." 

"She doesn't sound like someone who should be around you. I mean, you just had a threesome out here of all places. Doesn't sound very healthy to me." 

Shion laughed at this girl's harsh words because she was right; Michiyo really shouldn't have been around GokuLuck. "She should have a normal life. She should have had a future where she could be a normal girl." Whenever Shion smoked near Michiyo's grave, he will always pray Michiyo will be reborn in a world with a better life.

"Is she your lover?"

He laughed a little hearing that question and it brought up a lot of memories where he's always on the receiving end of getting reprimanded for saying anything suggestive to the 15 year old girl. "I'll end up having an increased sentence if I touch her the way I touched that panty-less girl. She had a pit-bull and a brat protecting her. And if that's not enough, she had a prison guard and his girlfriend as the final boss of protection. There was no way I could have touched her and escape in one piece~." 

"I like how you keep bringing up the fact that girl you fucked wore no panties. This Michiyo girl was lucky to have you and the others. I'm sure she was happy when she was alive." 

"I wonder about that..." Was there more Shion and the others could have done? No matter how he and the others look back on that day 6 years ago, they all felt they had not done enough for her. Was there even a way to save her? Shion looked at the girl with a sad smile, "I'm Kaida Shion."

The girl smiled in an understanding way, "Shion." She called his name because she knew he needed to hear the voice he had lost 6 years ago. 

Hearing that sweet voice call his name, he felt a squeeze in his heart. It was exactly the same. It was as if Michiyo had returned and called his name. Shion leaned in closer and his forehead touched the girl's right shoulder. One hand touched the brick wall behind her, the hand that touched her left shoulder dropped the cigarette and it landed into a puddle, putting out the flame. Hearing Michiyo's voice 6 years later, it made Shion remember a lot of fond memories of her. A lot of the memories were sweet because she's a very sweet girl who always smiled and happily lived with them. "It's strange..." 

The girl stayed there and she continued to smoke her own cigarette. She decided to let Shion have this small moment. Even though Shion did vulgar things in the back of the club, she had a feeling he wasn't that bad of a person; if he could be like this over someone he never touched, he couldn't be that bad. "What's strange?" 

"I've never touched Michiyo-chan the way I've touched other kittens...why is it I can remember her clear as day but I can't remember those I've connected with?" He could mess around as much as he wanted and mix his temperature with literally anyone but none of their faces stay in his memories. Even after 6 years, Michiyo continued to live in his memories with that everlasting sweet smile that's no longer in reality.

The girl stubbed the cigarette against the brick wall and she dropped the cigarette. The dropped cigarette founds its way to Shion's cigarette and the ends touched.

Shion felt the girl run her fingers through his hair. He was reminded of the time when his Trap Reaction occurred and Michiyo was stroking his hair when he needed her to ease it. "You're a very observant girl." Shion wondered if he was easy to read? How did this girl know what to do to trigger his memories of Michiyo? He gently pushed himself away. He smiled as he looked at her properly. "If you're not Michiyo, then what's your name?" 

"Finally curious?" 

"Very."

"How about I tell you the next time we see each other again?" Unlike Michiyo who was shy and blush easily, the girl in front of Shion was rather playful. 

"I don't think I will forget you after tonight." 

The girl with pink hair stood on her toes to kiss the taller man's cheek. Shion took notice how she kissed the scale-like marks on his left cheek. 

"See you next time~." 

Watching her go, Shion couldn't stop smiling. He touched his left cheek with three fingers. Four simple words from her made him excited for the chance to meet again. 

Returning to the small house where the four of them lived, Hancho noticed Shion returned with a smile on his face. In the past when Shion sneak out to see his kittens, he needed Mikoshiba to disable the electronic door and alarm so he could sneak out. Because the usual Inukai 'disappeared' after Michiyo's death, Hancho wasn't bothered about Shion leaving the house as long as he remembered to return. Why did Shion still bother to return? He had no other place to be; as much as he disliked this cheap house with little to no room and still sharing a room with two other people, it was still a roof over his head and 3 meals a day. Also, Hancho will give him one hell of a beating for not coming home. Shion was not that stupid to forget the danger of escaping the hell guard.

"What's with the smile?" Hancho looked at Shion with disgust, "Your sexcapade in some dirty-ass back alley isn't something to be proud of."

"I don't remember her face but I do remember she wasn't wearing any panties." Again, the girl lacking panties stayed in his mind rent free.

"That doesn't sound sanitary." Ryoga wasn't sure why anyone would walk out like that. If it was his girlfriend, he wouldn't let her walk out with no panties.

"You are fucking disgusting." Mikoshiba muttered, eyes staying on the screen of the monitor on his laptop.

"Fufu, if you want, I don't mind taking you out to lose your virginity, Shibaken. Isn't it about time you lose your virginity?"

"Maybe if you and all the other people stop putting so much value on sex, the world wouldn't be so porn infested with unrealistic standards." His virginity never bothered him. He's not just going to lose it for the sake of losing it.

Shion helped himself to another cigarette. He decided not to say anything to them about the girl who looked exactly like Michiyo but with pink hair. He's not sure if the others wanted to know about that, especially Mikoshiba. 'Eh?' Shion's face didn't show it on the outside but he couldn't help but remember he may have seen this girl before...back when Michiyo was still alive. 'Where have I seen her before?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next night, Shion sneaked out to play. He wanted to try his luck and see if he will find that girl who looked like Michiyo. Like the girl who had good feelings they will meet again, he had a good feeling he will find see her again. 

"It's Shion~!" Shion may have slept with some of these girls before but he couldn't remember. He must have because they greeted him so affectionately. 

"Hello~." Shion was happy to be showered in warm greetings. Smoke left his lips since he was smoking. He smiled at the girls who linked arms with him. He loved attention from beautiful girls.

"Shion, come over to our booth! Come and play~!" 

"Oh? What are we playing?" 

"How do you feel about card games?" 

"I'm fond of them." He used to frequent casinos and try his luck. If it weren't for some weirdo getting on his nerves, he wouldn't have stabbed them behind the said building. Then again, if it weren't for that incident, he wouldn't have met Ryoga, Mikoshiba, or Inukai. He wouldn't have met Michiyo either. He may have had a bad hand from that but he got something in return in a way. Shion let the girls drag him over to the booth. "Hm?" Luck was on his side on this very night because here was the pink haired girl from last night. Shion liked the way she's dressed; a simple leather jacket, white strapless top underneath, pleated miniskirt with a chain on the right side, and platform high heels. He noticed she's wearing leather gloves tonight. "It's you~." Shion didn't care if there were other men sitting next to the pink haired girl with long hair because he's now here. 

"Do I know you?" The pink haired girl who looked like a grown up version of Michiyo asked in a playful way.

Shion responded by putting a cigarette to her lips. He pushed his lit cigarette against the unlit end of her cigarette, lighting it. Once it was lit, Shion moved back a bit so he could look at her face. 'So this is what Michiyo would have looked like if she's smoking a cigarette...' He thought to himself.

"Thank you~."

Shion noticed a pack of playing cards on the table with all the other colorful drinks in shot glasses. "What game are you all playing?" 

"It's a very simple game." The girl shuffled the deck and she picked out a 2 of Hearts. "We'll follow big two's hierarchy. Are you familiar with it with the hierarchy?" In Big Two, the value of a card's determined by rank in the following order, highest to lowest: 2,A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3. Then by suits with Spades ♠ as the trump, followed Hearts ♥, then Clubs ♣, and the lowest, Diamonds ♦. "Whoever has the highest ranking card gets to ask the person with the lower ranking card any question."

"Any question? Even the most private ones?" Shion's playing with her hair. 

"Your choice." 

"Then..." Shion picked a card and it's the 2 of Spades, the highest possible ranking card in a big two. "I want to know your name." 

"You're very direct. I like that very much. And I can see you are familiar with the hierarchy in big two." She turned her body his way and she smiled at him, "My name is Ranfa, nice to meet you, Shion."

"Ranfa-chan~." He finally got her name and he's happy about it. The girl who sat herself on the other side of him lost interest and went to give her attention to someone else but Shion did not even notice. Right now, he was focused on Ranfa. It's as if she had become the center of his world.

Ranfa shuffled the deck of 52 cards, "I wonder what your next question will be?" 

"It won't be things I already know." 

"Oh? What do you think you know right now?" 

"I know enough you must have been adopted by people of Chinese origin. Your name gives it away after all."

Ranfa chuckled, "I'm not too sure of my own origins." When Ranfa sat back against her seat, she felt Shion put his arm over her shoulders. "Granny found me in a dumpster. Ever since then, she has been taking care of me. Granny went to many different Chinatowns in Japan to avoid social services taking me away. She named me Sakura Ranfa because when she found me, the cherry blossoms were in bloom and she liked how blue my eyes are. Pass my drink, will you?"

Shion grabbed the glass that's half full of gin and tonic. "Mind if I have a drink first?" 

"If you don't mind an indirect kiss, go ahead." 

Shion helped himself to Ranfa's drink. "Thank you."

Ranfa took her glass and she drank from it. Shion liked how they shared an indirect kiss. He passed her the pack of card after he drew an Ace of Spades. Ranfa took a card out from the middle and it's a 2 of Diamonds. 

"Ask away~." Shion was prepared for any questions from her.

"Who do you see in front of you right now?" 

Shion chuckled at her question. Honestly, who liked to be seen as someone else? Let alone someone who died? He only met her yesterday and already he was able to separate Michiyo from this girl; Ranfa may look similar to Michiyo in voice and face but the way she's blunt and direct without a care in the world if her words could stab someone made her very different from the innocent girl Shion and his teammates knew. Shion looked into Ranfa's eyes and he was seeing things that didn't need to be spoken in words; people who had a lot to hide tend to see other people with a lot to hide too. He could tell there's still more to Ranfa he did not know and he wanted to get to know them. 

Shion answered her by leaning in and kissing her on the lips. It's a soft kiss. He had no intention of dominating her or being sexual right now. Ranfa touched her lips with her gloved fingers, she seemed happy with his answer.

"I've never kissed Michiyo-chan." He touched her lips with his forefinger, "That kiss just now, it's exclusive for Ranfa-chan~♥."

"Fufu, I believe you." When she touched his hand and gently moved it away from her lips, she leaned in a little closer to him, he thought she was going to kiss him back, his lips parted slightly for an incoming kiss but she picked out another card before leaning back on her seat. Smirking, she showed him her card. "6 of Clubs."

Shion laughed and he wondered if she's teasing him on purpose. He didn't mind that though. He picked out a card, "Queen of Hearts." Playfully, he stuck the card between her cleavage. "Exchange SNS with me?"

"You're really good at playing this game, huh? Pass me your phone."

"Ah, because of some circumstances, I can't be called." 

"Oh?"

Shion passed her the deck of cards after shuffling it like a professional card dealer, "If you want to know more, pick a card~."

...

Ranfa was in the toilet of the club. There's a smile on her face because she's enjoying this night in particular. She thought it will be a bore but it turned out good. She's happy to get to know Shion and talked with him some more. The simple game of using cards to ask one another questions was rather amusing.

"Better put my gloves back on..." She finished drying her hands by the dryer. She looked in the mirror and she looked at herself. Usually she didn't care how she looked but tonight she wanted to look nice because of Shion. 

The door to the female toilet opened and in came a girl who looked very upset. 

Ranfa noticed the anger from the girl was directed at her but she ignored it. 

"How long do you plan to hog Shion for?" The girl was losing her patience; she waited for Shion to stop associating with Ranfa and come to her instead but Shion kept her attention on Ranfa for too long for her liking. 

Ranfa looked at the girl with a smug look, "If you want his attention, go and get it then. Don't come to me so I can 'give' him to you." 

The girl did not like Ranfa's response. "You think you're all that and you're special? You're just going to end up one of the many girls he planned to bed!" 

"And I am guessing you are one of them? Only difference is, you're trying to rise up the ranks?" 

The girl tried to slap Ranfa but Ranfa grabbed the girl's wrist with her bare hand and pushed her against the wall! Not only that, Ranfa touched the girl's face with her other bare hand. 

The girl didn't think anything of it at first but when she started to see illusions of her own trauma, she began to feel very sickly and she screamed in fear. "No! No! Daddy, no! STOP!" Curling on the floor like a fetus, the girl was crying as if she had reverted to being a little girl again, completely unaware of the rusting-like marks on her wrist and on her face. 

Ranfa looked down at her with an icy cold look as she put her gloves back on. "How can I ever think I am special when I know I am special?" Ranfa walked out of the toilet, leaving the girl a problem for other people to deal with. "Even though I've touched him with my bare hands before, why didn't he rust like she did? I want to know more about him."

Chapter Text

Ranfa looked very indifferent after that girl decided to piss her off. Having someone coming at you from out of nowhere, anyone will feel their night's ruined. Ranfa didn't care though. She's going to ignore that girl wailing in her trauma and continue with her night. 

However, she returned to the booth and she saw other girls pestering Shion on his left and on his right, There's no seat in the booth for her anymore. She's not surprised at all; she was only in the booth because some guy invited her to sit with him. The guy's gone as well as his friends so Ranfa might as well be a stranger trying to worm her way into the booth.

"Shion, give me attention~!" Said the girl on the left, purposely leaning against Shion in a way where he will get a perfect view of her breasts that were barely covered.

"Well, you definitely have them now." 'Hmm...they are big but I think Machi's are bigger.' Shion thought as he stared at the girl's breasts.

"You say that but you've been sitting here all night not paying us attention! Play with us too~!" The girl on the right was more on the cute side. She didn't doll herself up to be ignored by the man she wanted to play with tonight! "Shion~, am I cuter than the other day?"

"Let's see..." 'Do I know her? Hmm...Michiyo-chan and Saki-chan are cuter though.' Shion thought as he smiled like usual to the right on his right. He played with the ribbon in her hair, "You're always cute~. I'm still here so let's all play~." Ranfa came closer to the booth and Shion noticed she's back. He smiled up at her, "Ranfa-chan's back~."

The girls on either side of him had no intention of moving away and making room for Ranfa. Of course they didn't. It was easier to play dumb and pretend the seat was empty. But did that bother Ranfa? Not really.

"Oh my~! Ranfa-chan is rather bold...!" The girls on the left and right side of Shion did not bother Ranfa at all because there was a seat: his lap. Ranfa crossed one leg over the other as she sat sideways on Shion's lap. 

"I go away for a second and already you're surrounded by beautiful girls."

"They are beautiful..." Shion decided to carry her like a princess, surprising the two girls by his sides and the people who were nearby. "But I see only you." 

Ranfa put her hands on his shoulders, slowly putting them behind his neck as she let him take her away. However, when she looked at the girls who were pestering Shion, she looked at them with a smirk. Ranfa knew she had won then and there.

"Now how should I play with you, tonight?"

"Anywhere but the dingy back alley. If I am willing to be bedded by you, I want to at least have some dignity and not do it on the street." 

"Oh, you're an indoor girl? I know a place~."

"Is it clean?" 

"Clean enough~."

So where did Shion take Ranfa? He took her to the love hotel where Mikoshiba and Michiyo once hid in when they were chased by a female cop who was too serious about her job.

"Supposedly this room is haunted but the staff keep it clean to ward off the lingering spirits of those who died in here. Are you bothered by this fact?" Sometimes when he brought a girl here, they freak out over the fact and no longer wanted to do it. 

"I haven't done anything wrong so they won't haunt me." Ranfa sat on the bed, surprised how clean the love hotel's bedroom was. She pressed her face against the satin bedding. "So soft~."

Shion chuckled; so even Ranfa had a cute side to her. 'If Michiyo-chan was here, she'd do the same I bet.' 

"Hm?" When Shion sat on the bed, Ranfa leaned the side of her head against his arm. "What are you thinking about?"

"Just thinking the way you pressed your face on the bedding was cute."

"Is it still cute if I do this?" She climbed on top of his lap, her knees on either side of him.

"So cute~." Shion weaved his fingers through her cherry blossom pink hair. He couldn't stop looking at her face because no matter which angle he looked at her from, he was seeing the adult version of Michiyo. But he knew very well this girl was Ranfa and no one else.

Ranfa touched the back of his left hand and the tips of her fingers graced his Phantometal.

"Oops. Forgot to take it off~." 

"No, it's fine. It suits you." Ranfa intertwined her fingers with Shion's left fingers. She opened and closed her fingers, enjoying the warmth of their palms connected like this. 

Shion noticed how happy Ranfa was by just doing that. "Do you like holding other people's hands, Ranfa-chan?" 

"I don't. I just like holding yours. Usually when I touch others, I have to wear gloves." 

"Is that why when we met, you didn't wear your gloves?" 

"...yeah." 

He's happy to know he's an exception in her eyes. Being an exception in this way made him feel special. He gently pushed the back of her head they could kiss. "I like more than holding hands though." 

Ranfa returned the playful smile, "That kind of holding, huh?" 

"I'm not a waste of your time, right?" 

"If it's you, it's never a waste." If it was somebody else that bored her to death, she will roll her eyes and leave. Shion fascinated her so she will accept him and play with him. 

Their lips reconnected in a searing kiss, their wish to connect fueled by desire alone. They'd only just met? That's not a problem for abnormal people like them who couldn't walk in the light. If they're going to drown in the night anyway why not drown with one another?

"You really are a naughty girl~." He loved the way she unzipped his pants and started to touch his shaft. He liked how she wasn't shy to take the initiative. He moaned in the kiss as she pumped him and occasionally teasing the tip with her thumb. "If you tease me like that, I will have to return the favor, my little Ranfa-chan." He removed her top and he skillfully unclasped her bra with only one hand. He threw it to the side since she won't be needing it.

"Really now?" She pushed him down on the bed and she sat against his shaft. "How do you want to pay it back?" She could feel how hard and hot he was underneath her. She rubbed against him back and forth but her eyes never left his. There's precum sticking to her panties but she continued to move against him as if she's riding a horse.

Shion wanted to feel her directly. He noticed her panties had strings tied from the side. When he decided to loosen the ribbon, he realized he could take it off just like that. Once she was bare, he held her hips and helped her create better friction between their bodies. 

Ranfa moaned hard in the kiss as it got hotter and messier. She was about to touch him with her hand but she felt Shion grab her wrist. 

"Shion-?" 

Shion pinned her under him. He could see she was genuinely surprised. He pressed his forefinger against her lips, "Shh." 

"Eh? Ah...!" She thought something happened but he kissed his way down her body, situating his face between her legs. 

"You see, Ranfa-chan, I like being teased by you...but I also like doing the teasing." 

Gasping, she tried to move away from the source of warm wetness but he pulled her back by her hips, making her accept this. It was as if he was igniting something in her, like stroking a fire that she's not ready to deal with. "Y-you're not being fair...!" She's not sure whether she wanted to push her lower half against his intruding tongue or wanted to pull away. She propped herself up slightly with her elbows and she looked down to see Shion's face was between her legs. She couldn't pull away from him even if she want to anyway because he had a firm grip on her hips. 

"Hm? How so?" He said against her, his mouth never stopped teasing her. When he opened his eyes to look at her, she could see his red eyes looking at her blue ones. 

She averted her eyes, biting the back of her forefinger as he slowed down the teasing as if he's waiting for the answer he wanted to hear. "Ahh...!" She wanted him to move but did she want him to continue or to get away? It felt so good she couldn't make her mind up. She knew he won't do anything less or more unless she answered him. Was this his way of controlling her? "I don't like this position..." 

"I know for sure that is a lie." 

She felt him kiss his way up. She gasped when she felt his fingers tease her instead. She held onto his shoulders and closed her eyes, drowning within the sexual pleasure. 

Shion kissed her cheek before he decided to whisper against her ear, his fingers never stopped the beckoning motion. "You don't hate it when my mouth was against your pussy. You hate it because it makes you the most vulnerable. Do you hate it when others have control of you? But you seem to like it when I do it, don't you?" His voice dripped with seduction tempting her deeper and deeper.

Ranfa couldn't help but moan in need. Was she always this sensitive?

"Ah, you moved against my fingers. Do you like it when I am a little rough with you?" 

Ranfa quickly slapped her hand against her mouth. She felt embarrassed how her body was betraying her. Wasn't he too good at being the teaser?

Shion didn't mind that one bit. He pulled his fingers out and he dragged his wet fingers on the inside of her thighs, reminding her how her body was wet enough and ready to accept him.

"Oh?" Shion could feel her legs tremble on either side of him. He listened to the way she was doing her best to control her breathing too. "Poor thing, seems like no one showed you properly how good a woman's pleasure can be." He teasingly drew circles against her clit, further teasing her body to submit to him some more. "Keep your legs spread for me like the good girl you are, Ranfa-chan. That's it. It feels good, doesn't it? I know it does." Once again, he stopped. When he saw how surprised and slightly devastated she was to the point she had to wrap her legs around his waist to make sure he won't leave her, he knew he had her good. He touched her cheeks with his left hand and then his right, his lips lingering just 1 centimeter away from hers, "Don't worry. You're in good hands, so let me rule over you." It didn't take him long to figure out she enjoyed it when he exerted control over her.

That night, he really ruled over her. Shion learnt that though Ranfa looked like Michiyo, Ranfa was still a completely different person. He learnt she's a tease but not used to being teased back in bed; when she lose herself to carnal desire, she'll stop being shy about receiving pleasure and will do and move exactly as Shion wanted. Most of all, he learnt she really liked holding hands with him. He wondered if it was a fetish? Either way, he liked holding her hands too. He especially liked it when their hands were holding as she rode him. 

Shion felt good vibes from Ranfa. He wanted to continue to have more fun nights with her from now on. 

This was their own little world...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hancho was not stupid. Just because he didn't say anything at the time it didn't mean he noticed nothing. When he's not saying anything it meant he was observing before the right moment came to him. 

"Aren't you taking you going out a bit too often?" Hancho noticed Shion had been sneaking out a bit too often these nights. Sure, for the last 6 years Shion did go out late into the night but not this consistent to the point it's every single night! 

"Hm~?" Shion lazily looked at Hancho and he smiled mischievously. The two of them were smoking outside the balcony. It's one of those moments where men could talk about anything while breathing in smoke from their cigarettes. "Curious?" 

"Whatever it is you are doing, don't bring trouble back here. I don't want to deal with it." 

"I won't~. I'm always on my best behavior for you~." 

"Keep it that way. I already have a lot on my plate."

"You sure do, you and Machi are about to be mother and father after all. What are you going to do once you become a daddy, Daddy~?"

"Don't call me that. And I have a plan already." 

"Do tell." 

"Let the woman rest a whole month before I fuck her into the bed like I used to." 

Shion thought Machiko had it hard having to deal with Hancho and his sex drive. From the very bottom of his heart, he wished Machiko good luck and to hang in there.

Hancho noticed Shion's not very surprised look. "What? She misses me between her legs as much as I want to be between them. The feelings are mutual. Trust me, the moment I am between her legs again, she will feel a lot happier."

"If she hears you say that, she will smack you. That being said, if Michiyo-chan was here, I bet she would have been excited for the baby."

"She would. She would have a stupid smile on her face every day and always want to press her ear against the woman's stomach. Heh, I bet if the baby's born, Michiyo would want to hold her every day."

Shion noticed Hancho was smiling a little; even the violent and scary side to Inukai was fond of Michiyo.

The door to the balcony opened and out came Ryoga. "I'm back. T-these are beer. Let's have some." 

"Hm? Is it from the nice Onee-san from where you are working?" Shion asked Ryoga. 

Ryoga smiled when Shion mentioned the onee-san in question. "S-she said it's a treat. For always helping her out." Ryoga was still serving his prison sentence but he was going through another program where he's allowed to work in shops and venues that's willing to participate. It's to help prisoners integrate back into society. As great as it sounded though, not many shop and venue owners were willing to participate because they were scared of prisoners for obvious reasons; they're scared of having their properties damaged, money stolen, and losing trust from loyal customers. Ryoga was lucky to landed one that's willing to let him join. Where was he working? He's working at a small gym called 'You're gonna lift that, bro?'. 

"Give my regards to Hisui." Hancho helped himself to a can of cold beer.

"I wish she'd stop treating me like a kid." Now 29 years old, Ryoga was having a bit of trouble; the female owner of 'You're gonna lift that, bro?' kept treating him like he's still a kid even though he's getting close to what young people would say a 'grown ass man'! "Even though I am much bigger than her."

"I mean, she is 36 years old. You would be seen as kid to her." Shion chuckled, "I didn't think you'd be into older women."

"Hisui is kind." The way Hisui was small compared to Ryoga, it made Ryoga want to protect her. With Ryoga's hulking size, no one dared to be funny with the gym's owner. If anyone dared to mess around, they will have to deal with PITBULL.

Inside the prisoner's bedroom, Mikoshiba Kenta was listening to something from his headphones that's connected to the laptop. 

--Shibaken, you're so mean! I'm telling Machi on you!-- Whenever Mikoshiba's alone in his room, he will watch old video clips he recorded of Michiyo. This way, he will never forget her face. This way, he will never forget her voice. Even after 6 years, he was still stuck with Hancho, Shion, and Ryoga. Mikoshiba hated the fact everything and everyone was going forward with time but Michiyo will always be stuck as a 15 year old in his memories. He looked at himself in the mirror. He got a little older, a little taller, and he had dark under eyes because he could never sleep properly. Ever since Michiyo was gone, he couldn't sleep peacefully. 

"Fuck this shit." He got out of his gamer chair and he decided to go out and have a smoke with the others. Turning 21, he picked up smoking as well as appreciating alcohol with the others. "Huh?" He noticed there's a phone on the tea table. He knew it was Shion's. "...?!" He didn't care about the random notification indicating Shion had mail. He cared more so about the wallpaper on Shion's phone...because the girl on his phone was too familiar looking. "Michiyo...?" 

Chapter Text

"It's a real shame he couldn't stay with me all night but he has a curfew so it couldn't be helped." Ranfa came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. She wanted Shion to stay a little longer but she was promised of their next meeting so she looked forward to that. She walked past the cleaner who originally intended to clean the room.

The cleaner was mumbling under her breath, so quiet the whisper could only be heard by a mouse. Fear had a good grip on her it felt like she was choking. She couldn't see reality. All she was seeing was her fear she thought she had overcome with the flow of time.

"All it took was one touch yet again..." Ranfa got changed, ready to leave. She looked at her un-gloved hand, confused why Shion was an exception. 

For as long as she could remember, any time she touched someone with her bare hands, they will see things they never wanted to see. Fear will grasp anyone she touched with trauma. No one believed her if she tell them she had this ability and no one believed those she had touched either; who on earth will believe something so farfetched and out of the world? Humans always deny and become ignorant to things they could not give an explanation to after all. Ranfa came to the conclusion no one will believe her and if she try too hard to make people see her ability, they will harm her to protect themselves so she kept quiet about it. She did not know why she had this ability. She only knew as long as she wore gloves, no one will be harmed by her. She only touch those who try to threaten her. No one will protect her but herself.

Ranfa walked down the street with a cigarette in her mouth. She didn't like day time very much because she always felt those who woke up early to start the day were very different people from herself. She couldn't connect with any of them. She couldn't understand them. She certainly didn't want to be close with them. Only those who enjoyed the night like her were people she's willing to befriend. To her, people come and go, just like one single grain of sand in a massive desert. She's one in a million, nothing special. The same goes for everyone else.

Ranfa felt someone grab her wrist. It hurts but she felt all sorts of pain growing up so she could tolerate this.

"I finally found you...!" The man would have looked handsome if it weren't for the obvious black unhealthy black undertone beneath his eyes. Skin almost as pale as a sheet of A4 paper, the snake bite piercings somewhat amused Ranfa; was this guy trying to be like a snake or something? The young man had bleached hair that's unwashed for many days and deep purple eyes, his eyes looked at her with desperation as if he had finally found something very important. 

"Who are you?" In Ranfa's point of view, this person might as well have fog covering his facial features because she couldn't remember him.

"You've forgotten about me, Ranfa? Seriously?! When we used to have so much fun together?!"

"Oh. Are you one of the people I slept with out of boredom or something?"

The man grabbed her other wrist, as if he's trying to exert control over her as his shadow covered her. Ranfa was not scared though; how many times had she been in situations like this? With a man on top of her, overpowering her in strength? She had seen it so many times she had grown bored of the scene. Ah, other people were looking at them. Some scrambled to get away because of their 9-5 job. Some stayed to spectate for the sake of being nosy because they think it's a lover's quarrel first thing in the morning. 

"Then? Do you just want to fuck around or something?" Ranfa asked. 

"What?" 

"The reason you grabbed me is because you're sexually frustrated, right? Come on, I'll satisfy you just this once. Just have a shower first and make sure to wear a condom." 

 "I'm not talking about that!" The man was livid to the point he was breathing heavily. "I've lost everything because of you! I had everything good going on and because of you...! Because of one woman! You ruined it all for me and make me like this! I don't even recognize myself because of you!" He was spitting his anger and frustrations at her. Whatever Ranfa did, it was enough to warrant him look like the bad guy. Was he the victim as he claimed? Or was he the perpetrator trying to make himself look like the victim? 

Ranfa rolled her eyes as she found him irritating rather than entertaining. "Are you sure it's my fault and not your own?" 

"What...?" He didn't expect her to say that so it shocked him.  

"In a world of deceiving or be deceived, those who are deceived are as guilty as the deceivers. I told you not to regret it if you want me to be your woman. You only have yourself to blame. Your downfall is your own doing."

"You...!"

"I guess my only role in this is speeding things up for you." 

The man let go of Ranfa's wrist and he slapped her right across the face. Ranfa fell to her side, her cigarette flung away because of the impact. The impact stung and she's certain she was bleeding from her nose. She didn't yelp in pain. Why bother? Not like anyone will come in and defend her. The only person who came to her defense was her granny and she was long gone already. 

"You fucking bitch! I'll kill you for what you've done-" 

"Stop right there!" Just like the way she saved Michiyo 6 years ago, Tsuiteru Machiko found herself saving Ranfa 6 years later. Because she knew first hand how abusive men could be, Machiko told herself she will stand up if she ever see a man try to manhandle a woman. Machiko was always like this since the incident with her ex boyfriend. She always get herself involved when injustice was happening in front of her. Was she scared if danger will come to her instead of the person she's protecting? Of course she will be scared! But she knew she will regret it if she said nothing and did nothing so she spoke up with courage even if fear had to come along. "I've got it all on camera! Hitting a girl in broad daylight! Do you have no shame?!"

And because one person spoke up, it led to other people speaking out too. Spectators who only decided to spectate decided to speak up too. Before the man knew it, waves of people pointing out he shouldn't hit a woman no matter what swarmed at him like the never-ending locusts hopping to its next destination to satiate its hunger. Turning to his left, swinging to his right, he was surrounded by sounds from all direction and it was driving him mad.

To add more suffering to this man who was going through an episode of loss on reality, Ranfa helped him fall further by taking off her glove and touching the man's ankle. 

"Ah...ahhh!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" The man was screaming and running away, clawing at his neck so intensely to the point his nails were scratching out blood. He will be someone else's problem now. 

Machiko looked back at Ranfa, offering her hand to her. "Are you okay? I didn't really have anything recorded. I said that to scare him away and it worked. Here, let me help you up." 

Ranfa put her glove back on. She rubbed her nose with her forearm, staining her jacket with blood that won't stop flowing. "Shit, I didn't even finish it." She's talking about the cigarette she had in her mouth earlier. If there's something she hated, it was finishing a cigarette too early. She stood up with Machiko's help and she brushed some of her hair behind her ear. She looked at Machiko, "Thanks for that...but you're heavily pregnant. You should take care of yourself and the little one in you."

Machiko thought she was hearing things when Ranfa spoke to her but now she was staring at the pink haired girl in pure shock because the resemblance to Michiyo was too alike. Seeing Ranfa's face made Machiko's tears well up because she was reminded of the young girl who was so cute and adorable. "M-Michi..." Tears fell, nostalgia hit her hard. When she thought of the 15 year old girl, she remembered how her smile was like a warm sunshine as she called out 'Machi' in such an affectionate way. Machiko wanted to spoil the young girl forever. Machiko started to remember a piece of memory with Michiyo...

Mikoshiba and Michiyo were bickering again and because Mikoshiba was being petty, he pinched Michiyo's cheeks and he pulled them hard. 

"Argh! It hurts!" 

"Good! It's supposed to hurt! If you want me to stop, you better start going 'Please stop, Kenta-sama! I'm sorry for being so mouthy'!" 

"I refuse!  Machi, Shibaken is bullying me again!" 

The cry for help, Mikoshiba being the center of troublemaking, it summoned Machiko from the kitchen to the living room! She didn't ask for an explanation and she whacked Mikoshiba's head with a baguette! The hit was so hard it snapped the bread in two! 

"Ouch!"  He touched his head as the pain lingered.

"Machi, we were playing Smash Bros and he got petty when I keep swallowing him and spit him out with Kirby!" 

"You deserve that for spamming!" 

"You're just jealous because I am good at swallowing and spitting!" 

Machiko was glad this time she's not being omitted from the context! She had a sisterly smile on her face as she patted Michiyo's head, "There, there, Michi. I've punished him enough. He can cry in pain on the sofa. I'm making sandwiches right now." 

"Yay! Machi's sandwiches for lunch!" 

"Yep. Because Michi said she wanted to eat some yesterday." 

"You always spoil me, Machi~. Hmm..." 

Machiko wondered why she sighed like that. "Michi?" 

"When I am an adult, are you going stop spoiling me? I think I will miss it...ehehe." 

"Of course not! Even if Michi become an adult or even an elderly woman, I'll still spoil you!" 

"Machi..." Michiyo was happy to hear that. She had the happiest smile on her face from hearing that. 

"You're probably gonna be dead by the time Flowers for brain and I become old and wrinkly. Not sure where you get the idea of spoiling her to old age from." Of course, Mikoshiba had to ruin the fluffy moment with his pettiness.

And with that, the baguette was shortened for another good inches because Machiko hit him with it yet again. 

"I don't think we should be eating that baguette." Michiyo mumbled. 

"You're right, Michi. It's too hard to be eaten so it works as a way to discipline that brat." 

"Of course you'd know it's too hard to be eaten. You probably had dicks harder than a baguette." Seeing the smug look on Mikoshiba's face when he said that, something in Machiko snapped.

"I'll kill you right here and now!" Machiko hated the fact most people see her as a calm and understanding woman only to be triggered so easily by the  unruly  15 year old brat. 

"Ah! Machi, wait! Ah! She's going to strangle him to death this time! Yuto-san! Yuto-san! Machi and Shibaken are fighting!"

"You fucking gorilla! This will be the day I finally defeat you!"

"Not if I kill you first!"

"On second thoughts, you better live longer! You can watch me marry the hell out of Flowers for brain! Seeing you forcing yourself to be happy and want to cry at the same time will be your wedding gift to me!" 

"I'LL KILL YOU, BRING YOU BACK TO LIFE, AND THEN KILL YOU AGAIN!"  

Michiyo was there the whole time so she heard Mikoshiba said he will marry the hell out of her. She's happy to hear that! "Shibaken, it's a yes from me." 

"Michi, don't make rash decisions like that!" Machiko cried as Inukai had to once again remove from killing the 15 year old brat who had S-class skill of irritating her...

Machiko hated Mikoshiba and his guts but she would have helped Michiyo pick her dream wedding dress and make her day the happiest. None of that will happen now and it's one of Machiko's unfulfilled wish. Seeing Ranfa, it was like Machiko was getting her wish of seeing what Michiyo would have looked like as an adult. This had to be a blessing, right?

Ranfa was about to walk away but Machiko gently held Ranfa's gloved hand. The hold on Ranfa's hand was gentle so she could tell Machiko had no intention of hurting her. "What is it?" Ranfa asked. "You look like you're seeing someone else through me."

"I..." Machiko didn't know what to say. The exact same voice, the exact same face. Machiko didn't want Ranfa to go because she had a feeling if she let her go now she might not see her again. "I'm scared he will come for you again. Do you want to come to a safer place?" I'll give you a change of clothes." Machiko looked at Ranfa up and down, "Please. You have blood on your clothes anyway." 

"...fine." Ranfa didn't really have a choice since she would like a change of clothes and stop her nose from bleeding. 

Machiko took out a handkerchief and she helped Ranfa sort out her bleeding nose. Ranfa noticed the expensive silk handkerchief. "Wait, come on, don't use such an expensive brand for someone like me." 

Machiko shook her head and she helped Ranfa to stop the bleeding from getting worse. "Let's go to a safe place." Machiko was scared if the guy will return and she thought of one place in mind.

...

The safest place Machiko had in mind was where GokuLuck resided. At this early morning, hopefully none of the guys will be awake since none of them were morning people.

"The bleeding might have stopped but it's probably better to keep an ice pack against your nose. I've put your clothes into the washing machine." Machiko sat on the sofa next to Ranfa. She smiled because she felt like Michiyo was back home.

"Whose shirt is this anyway?" Machiko gave one of Shion's shirts to Ranfa to wear for now. It was enough to cover her.

"Sorry about that. It's the only thing I can think of. I don't think he will mind." 'In fact I can imagine he will be happy about it somehow.' Machiko said and thought to herself.

"You can't be this nice to people..." Ranfa never got Machiko's name. 

"I'm Tsuiteru Machiko. You can call me Machi." 

"Machi, you can't be this kind to people. And you can't be going around protecting others when you have someone much more important to protect." Ranfa looked at Machiko's heavily pregnant stomach.

Machiko touched her stomach and she smiled, "I'll probably get in trouble from my husband if he finds out about this. Let's keep it a secret between us, okay?"

"Keep a secret from whom?" Hancho came into the living room.

"Geh-?! Hancho...?!" Hancho was not a morning person either. How the hell was he awake this early in the morning?! Machiko did not foresee this! Usually it's the kind Yuto who could wake up like an early bird! 

Ranfa had seen many people throughout her life and she could sense a very dangerous aura from Hancho. She did not need to know what he went through. She knew enough he was not someone to be messed with. She got up and she stood in front of Machiko like a mother cat from the street protecting its young from incoming danger. "Machiko didn't cause trouble. I got in a mess and she protected me. It was my fault."

"...?!" Hancho was slightly taken aback when Ranfa got in the way like that. He didn't expect someone to look this alike to Michiyo. "What's this...?" Hancho was suddenly experiencing a headache he never felt. His world was spinning violently and then he ended up on the ground with a loud thud. 

"HANCHO!" Machiko shouted when her husband collapsed just like that!

Because Machiko screamed out so loud, it woke up Ryoga and he rushed out like a dog hearing their owner in distress! "Machi, what's wrong?!" Ryoga saw Hancho on the floor and then he paused seeing Ranfa. "M-M-Michi?!" 

"Never mind me! Help him!" Ranfa snapped at Ryoga! 

"R-right! Oi! Inukai! Oi! Snap out of it!" 

"Hancho! Hancho!" Machiko frantically held Hancho's hand. "No, no...! Not you too...! Get up!" She already lost Michiyo and the kind Yuto! She couldn't lose Hancho too! "Hancho, wake up!" 

Hancho couldn't hear Machiko's cry for him to wake up nor could he feel Ryoga snapping at him. He opened his eyes to see a completely dark world with the floor burning with blue hellish fire. The hellish entity appeared before Hancho and it bowed itself to its master; for 6 years, the hell hound waited for its true master to return. "This is my phantom." He touched the fire with a smirk, "Here I thought I wouldn't see it again." 

But there was someone else. He could see the kind Inukai Yuto a great distance away. "You were here the whole time?!" Hancho ran towards Yuto. Hancho did not move from his current position though. He might as well be running on the spot because he's not moving an inch from where he was originally standing. "I can't move from this spot." He looked at Yuto. What was Yuto looking at? "I know you can hear me! 6 years! 6 fucking years you have been hiding! Machiko is worried about you! How long do you plan on staying here?!" 

Yuto said nothing. Was he even listening to Hancho? 

"You can't stay here forever!"

Yuto said something. 

'I can't hear him...' But Hancho could not hear what Yuto was saying. 

Yuto said something again. He was smiling sadly as he said something to Hancho. 

"Yuto!" 

Hancho woke up grasping Machiko's hand! 

"Hancho! Hancho, you're back...!" Machiko was glad! She thought she lost her husband there for a second! 

Hancho sat up. He looked up at Ranfa. 'This girl is a trigger of sorts. She could bring back the other me.' Hancho stood up. "Tosa, wake the kid up." 

"...I don't think I want Shibaken to see this." Ryoga didn't think Mikoshiba wanted to see Ranfa; she may look like Michiyo, but she's not Michiyo. The Michiyo they knew and cherished was dead-

"I don't care if he wants to see this or not. Get him. Now." 

Ryoga had no choice but to get Mikoshiba. On the way there, he saw Shion. "Shion, go and keep an eye on things. Inukai might flip." 

"Ugh...I hate living with danger so close." Shion only wanted to have a smoke outside before going back to sleep again. He came out to see Hancho, Machiko, and someone he did not expect. "Ranfa-chan?" 

"Shion?" 

Chapter Text

Machiko made tea for Ranfa and everyone to drink. She put a lid over Mikoshiba's cup because he will be out later. Machiko couldn't stop looking at Ranfa's face because the resemblance to Michiyo was far too similar. Machiko wondered if Ranfa was related to Michiyo in any way. Twin? Cousins? Distant relative? There must be some evidence of sorts somewhere. "Ranfa, right? I need to speak with my husband. If you want anything, just let me know. Don't go out of this place without telling me, okay?" 

"Okay..." Ranfa wondered what Machiko was planning as she walked away with her husband. Now it's just Shion, Ranfa, and Ryoga. 

"What a small world. I didn't think I'd meet Ranfa-chan in my own 'home'. Well, now that the jig is up, I should be honest about myself." Shion started to explain how he's a prisoner and he's living with two other prisoners as well as one hell of a prison guard. He could go out and play whenever he felt like it but he must return before Hancho get cranky enough to use violence. When Shion looked at the picture frame of Michiyo eating a burger, courtesy of Machiko's photo taking moments in the past, he smiled fondly. "Michiyo-chan was a prisoner too. She lived with us and we're all very fond of her." 

"I see... I didn't think I'd come face to face with the people who cared for Michiyo. Can I have a closer look of her?" As requested, Shion gave Ranfa hisphone where he had memories of Michiyo in there. Ranfa scrolled through the photos. Every photo was proof Michiyo lived happily here. "Huh, seeing her smile like that, I can somewhat picture what I'd look like if I smile out of pure happiness too." 

"You can pass for her twin." Ryoga smiled a little because it felt like Michiyo was home again. He was worried though; how will Mikoshiba react?

Ryoga's worry came true. Mikoshiba came out of the bedroom and he came into the living room. When he looked at Ranfa, he stared at her face. 

"Shibaken..." Ryoga whispered Mikoshiba's nickname, somewhat worried about the other's reaction. After all, Mikoshiba was the closest to Michiyo.

"...so this is what Flowers for brain would have looked like if she was alive."

"Your reaction is surprisingly calm." Shion was not expecting Mikoshiba to be calm. He was expecting a huge reaction. Shion was somewhat proud; was this a sign Mikoshiba Kenta had grown up?

"I saw your wallpaper." 

"You knew...?" 

"Yeah."

"And you didn't say anything?" 

"Because what was I supposed to say?" Mikoshiba was not stupid and he's aware of things around him even if others did not tell him. Over the years, Shion had been having fun with all sorts of women and even men but not once did Shion feel any attachments to them enough to remember their names. When Mikoshiba saw Shion's wallpaper on his phone, Mikoshiba knew Shion was attracted to Ranfa. Mikoshiba was also smart enough to know that was Ranfa and will never be Michiyo. His Michiyo was gone and there was no denying it, not even if Ranfa existed. "If you're telling me stupid shit like you'll stop being close to her for me then I will kill you."

"Shibaken..." Shion was kind and he had thought about cutting his connection with Ranfa if Mikoshiba wanted her.

Mikoshiba took his tea and he started to make his way to the bedroom. 

Ranfa paused at a still photo of Mikoshiba getting whacked in the back of the head by Machiko while Michiyo gasped in the background. "Haha, what's the context here?" 

Mikoshiba paused when he heard Ranfa's voice. "Even the voice..." He said it so quietly that no one heard him. He forgot about going to the bedroom. He decided to go find Machiko and Hancho.

"Ah, the context is funny. Shibaken was being an ass to Michiyo-chan and Machi did not like it." Shion explained to Ranfa. 

"You want her to stay here with us?" Hancho repeated what Machiko requested of him.

Machiko nodded, "There was this crazy ex boyfriend of sorts and he was violent with her. I'm scared what he will do to her if she go out there." 

"So you want to remove her from the source of violence." 

"Yes. I can tell Ranfa lived a completely different life from Michi. I want to help her." When Machiko tried to help Ranfa on the street, she saw hesitance in Ranfa accepting help. Machiko didn't need Ranfa to say anything because she could somewhat tell the girl had a hard life and had formed some sort of distance to keep others from hurting her. Machiko wanted to be the one person Ranfa could trust in the sea of mistrust just like she did for Michiyo. 

"I would have lectured you for getting yourself involved in a dangerous encounter but we have more important things to discuss. It's about the other me." 

Upon hearing about the kind version of Inukai Yuto, Machiko was happy there were some news of sorts.

"He's still there and so is my phantom." Hancho held up his baton. 

Machiko did not understand what this meant.

"It meant our phantoms that were locked away could be freed." Mikoshiba closed the glass sliding door behind him. "If Flowers for brain locked it away, then Ranfa could be the one to free it." 

"Then...does freeing the phantoms mean freeing Yuto?" Machiko had to control herself from putting too much hope on this possibility because if she put too much hope into it only to meet disappointment in the end, she will be very sad. Over the course of 6 years, Machiko and Hancho tried to bring out the other Inukai; stress, memories, strong emotions, senses, alcohol and substance use, special events, or specific situations...they did so many things that could possibly trigger multiple personalities to come out but none of them worked. When there were days Machiko feel like the kind Inukai was gone and couldn't be reached, Hancho was there to pick her up and keep her spirit up. Hancho will never let Machiko fall. And if she should fall, they will fall together...fortunately, Hancho was not ready to fall just yet. As long as Hancho refuse to fall, Machiko will not fall. "If Ranfa can really help us, then there is more reason to keep her with us."

Hancho looked at Mikoshiba, "What do you say, brat?" 

"Flowers for brain would want her to stay." 

"Brat...Kenta, thank you." Machiko thanked Mikoshiba for his quick and rational decision.

"On one condition: Don't replace Michiyo."

"Eh?" Machiko did not understand what Mikoshiba meant by that; did she do something to give Mikoshiba that impression? She just wanted to help Ranfa.

Mikoshiba did not elaborate further what he meant. He wanted to trust Machiko will stick to his condition. 

"You heard the brat, Machiko." 

"Hancho, am I making the right decision?" 

Hancho was about to help himself to a cigarette but then he remembered his wife was pregnant. He put it away. "Even if you make the wrong decision, I'll straighten it out for you. It's always been like that."

"Hancho..." She put her hand over his. She's very happy she will always have his support even if her requests step out of his comfort zone.

...

Hancho was told by Machiko to get Raimentei for takeout. Ranfa wanted to leave a couple of times but Machiko insisted she stayed for dinner. And now...

"Staying for dinner is one thing, but to stay here from now on?" Ranfa said, almost choking on Machiko's request.

"We don't know if that guy is waiting for you out there. Or worse, what if he's at your home address? I want to protect you." 

Hancho looked at Machiko; clearly Machiko had not learnt her lesson. "Hah? You shouldn't be doing any protecting in the first place, you stupid woman. Have you forgotten you are pregnant?" 

"But Hancho! You weren't there at the time! It was a now or never moment!" 

"I agree with Inukai, Machi. You're pregnant." Ryoga pointed out to Machiko. "Let the men handle the brawling." 

"No, I don't want you to brawl with danger, I want you to stand in between it." Machiko felt bad if anyone increased their sentences because of her! 

"Can you really call the other person a danger when Ryoga-chan's more of a danger?" Mikoshiba muttered.

"I could have handled it myself anyway." Ranfa looked at her pan fried chicken gyoza and noodles with a small smile; it's been a while since she had dinner surrounded by a bunch of people and no alcohol was on the table. It felt normal and nice not seeing the white powder and rolled up bank notes or credit cards with white residue on the table for once.

"You won't have to go through any of that." Machiko reassured her, "Everyone else is happy to have you here too." 

Ranfa looked at the guys, her eyes asking them if it was really okay for her to be here. She's too used to seeing people tell her one thing but the look in their eyes mean another. She's not falling for any of it. She was expecting to see concern in their eyes but she saw none of that.

"If I need you to help around the house, you will do it. That's my condition if you are going to stay." Hancho said to her, "And don't cause me trouble." He was about to end it there but when he glanced at Machiko for a moment, he had another condition in mind. "If this woman do something dangerous and stupid, you must drag her ass to me. I will reasonably punish her." How do you reasonably punish a heavily pregnant woman?!

"What?!" Machiko couldn't believe her husband! "But I'm pregnant!" 

"The audacity you have right now. So you DO remember you're pregnant!" 

"Geh..." 

Ranfa sweatdropped at them. She didn't know why but she kind of liked the dynamic between Hancho and Machiko. 

"Having another person living here isn't so bad." Before living here, Ryoga thought he will hate living with so many people here at once but the loss of Michiyo made him feel like one less member made the place bigger. Having Ranfa should hopefully make things better. 

"Just stay. It's better than being out there with some crazy ass guy beating your ass." Mikoshiba scoffed the rest of his food. However, he took one gyoza from Ranfa's plate.

"What are you doing- I saved the crispiest one for last-?!" Ranfa couldn't believe Mikoshiba just did that! 

Mikoshiba smirked, "It's a dog eat dog world here. And if you snooze, you lose." 

"I wish you could have told me that! You're such an asshole." 

Mikoshiba just laughed his way back to the bedroom.

"Leave him be, Ranfa-chan." He put his arm over her shoulders, "You are most definitely welcome to live under one roof with me~." 

Ranfa blushed a little and she looked away, "Only because Machi said I can stay. If she tells me to leave, I will leave." 

"Yes, yes~, but I doubt Machi will want you to leave~." 

Ranfa looked at Machiko to see her nodding vehemently. Ranfa looked at her glove covered hands, "I can't stay here forever. You guys barely know me. You shouldn't house me just because I look like Michiyo."

Machiko touched Ranfa's hand and she gently held them with both of hers, "It's not just because of that. I genuinely want to help you and don't want to let that guy hurt you. If he comes here, Hancho will have every rights to do stuff to him with his baton." 

"What do you mean by 'stuff'?" 

"Anyway! It's settled! I will buy you clothes too. Want to pick and choose with me, Ranfa?"

Was it really okay for her to be happy and take up the offer to stay here? Was it really okay for her to open her heart and accept these people?

Shion patted her head, "Will you stay?"

Looking at him, Ranfa nodded. 

"Good girl, you made a good choice. There's not much room in this little house but that's okay, right, Ranfa-chan? That being said, it will be great to have some privacy." 

"What do you want privacy for?" Machiko glared at Shion. 

"I mean, Ranfa-chan and I are already pretty acquainted." 

Machiko gasped! "You put your hands on her already?!" 

Ranfa didn't think Machiko would react like that. It was like seeing an older sister flipping out because someone touched her little sister! 

"You..." Machiko wanted to strangle this guy for putting his hands on someone who looked like Michiyo but she should have known he wouldn't keep it in his pants, the two girls were different and their own being... plus one was of proper age. But still! She's annoyed! And an annoyed pregnant woman had every rights to be unreasonable! "Angle yourself properly so I can strangle you without hurting my baby!" 

"Do I have to-" 

"Do it now!"

Shion looked at Hancho, "Inukai, stop eating for a moment and help control your wife?" 

"You better angle yourself like your life depends on it. You hurt either of them, I hurt you." Hancho will ignore this! And his version of 'hurt' will always be more than hurt so what he said didn't make any sense!

"Nngh...if only this was erotic asphyxiation and not something funny like this." Now what position should he take up so Machiko could hurt him without hurting her baby?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranfa couldn't sleep. How could she sleep? Ryoga was snoring loudly in his sleep. Apparently Michiyo used to sleep using his loud snores as some kind of lullaby to lull her to sleep. Ranfa thought Michiyo was crazy to use someone's snoring for sleeping purpose. She went to the balcony for some air and she smiled when she saw Shion was there. She removed her gloves and she left it on the table where Shion's shisha was. She sat on the chair next to him so she could enjoy his company.

"Glad to see you can enjoy the night with me, Ranfa-chan. Want to try shisha?" Also known as a hookah or a waterpipe, you use it to smoke the heated tobacco product.

Ranfa took up on his offer. She took his pipe and she inhaled gently from it as she had no reason to rush. 

Shion noticed she had removed her gloves. He reached for her fingers and he loosely intertwined his fingers with hers. "Welcome home, Ranfa-chan~." 

She never had anyone telling her this aside from her granny. To hear someone say such simple words to her, it made her want to cry. Was it really okay for her to think of this place as her new home?

"I'm home..." 

Was it okay for her to stay here despite her secrets?

Chapter Text

Shion was playing the acoustic guitar. He's in a good mood these days ever since Ranfa moved in with them. His eyes were closed as he played according to the mood in his heart. The melody was soothing and calm to the soul. 

"Hm~?" Shion opened his right eye but then he closed it with a smile, "Ranfa-chan, do you like the tune?" 

Ranfa sat down with her back against his own. She liked the soothing melody of the acoustic guitar. 

"But you probably like the beats in the nightclub, right?" 

"I like that, but I love Shion's sounds more."

"Haha, they do say one's sound reveals a lot about them." He suddenly stopped playing and he leaned his head back so the back of his head touched hers, "I want to hear Ranfa-chan's sound." 

"The ones I make in bed when I am with you?" 

"Oh, believe me, I'd like that very much too." He didn't mind having an audience to rate his performance in bed but he respected Ranfa enough not to put her in an embarrassing and compromising position But I mean how about I teach you how to play the guitar?" 

"Aren't I too old to be learning how to play the guitar?" She didn't have the confidence the melody she will make will sound any better. There's a difference between making sound and making a melody after all.

"It's never too late, Ranfa-chan. I'll teach you." But Shion was willing to show her even she could make a beautiful melody and he's willing to teach her. "Let's start with holding the guitar correctly. Come here." 

Mikoshiba walked past the living room and he saw Shion teaching Ranfa how to play the guitar. Ranfa was a little clumsy but she was diligent and serious as Shion explained the basics- starting with holding the guitar correctly and where to place her fingers. Thinking back, Michiyo used to love it when Shion play the acoustic guitar too. "Oi, Shion. You sure her brain is big enough to comprehend how to play the guitar?" 

Irked by the taunt, Ranfa grinned angrily at Mikoshiba, "Why don't you sit here and watch me progress?" 

"Oh? You're going to level up in front of me? Let's see you try." 

"Why are you two bickering in front of me like that. Then, why don't we start with something basic like 'Twinkle, twinkle, little star'?" 

"What?" Ranfa didn't like that because Mikoshiba was snickering. "He's laughing at me. Can't you teach me Moonlight Sonata?" 

Mikoshiba laughed even harder as a response.

Shion chuckled and he patted her head, "Now, now, it sounds easy but it's not as simple as it seems." He really started to play Moonlight Sonata for her. "You sure know your classical music, Ranfa-chan, did someone teach you?" 

Ranfa looked away as if she's piecing together a sentence that will make sense. "Everyone knows it, no?" She did not need to remember her pathetic ex boyfriend who liked to listen to classical music to feel as if he's more cultured than those around him. She swore if he come disturb her again, she will-

"Not Flowers for brain. She called it the creepy music in Resident Evil." Mikoshiba wondered why Ranfa hesitated to answer Shion properly just now. He wondered what she was hiding or thinking about.

Ranfa stopped thinking about her pathetic ex and she smiled as if bad thoughts never happened. "One day I will play it on the guitar perfectly. Make sure your jaw is sitting there nice and tight. It will fall off because of me." 

Mikoshiba smirked, "Then you better listen to Shion." 

"Please don't put so much pressure on little old me~." Shion didn't like pressure but he didn't mind if Ranfa's the one relying on him and putting a little pressure on him. "Come, let's continue with the lesson." He held his hand out to her and she took his hand with a smile telling him she's happy with this small piece of happiness.

...

"Woah..." Yohei couldn't believe what he was seeing. "She look just like Michiyo-chan just with pink hair! Where did you find her?" 

"By chance." Machiko answered Yohei. She then looked at Iori, "That's why I haven't been coming over to your place for dinner when Saki invited me. I want Ranfa to be comfortable and settled at her new home."

"When ya told me she looked like Michiyo-chan, I thought yer being delusional." 

Machiko knowing Iori was not something new since her sister was dating Hokusai. When Machiko first began her career as a model before meeting Inukai, there were days where she felt like having a drink to forget she had a bad day or a bad night. Being in the modeling industry was not always a smooth road. There's a unnecessary drama and people were always waiting for the opportunity to find you at your weakest and then put on a smiling mask to lure you in. She liked to frequent Bar 4/7 bar because of its calming environment. While her colleagues liked the party vibe of night clubs, Machiko preferred a calm night with a bartender who was willing to listen to her problems and that's how she met Saimon and Yohei. While Saimon gave her advice like a father would, Yohei was the one who gave her the brutal truth even if he knew she wouldn't like to hear it then and there. There were days where they will argue but they always make up because Machiko knew Yohei only said what he said because he cared about their friendship. Yohei was usually the one who made her drinks when Saimon wasn't around. She liked how the drinks he made were always vibrant in color. Since she became pregnant with Hancho's child, Yohei no longer made her alcoholic drinks for obvious reasons and instead blend soybeans to make her a glass of hot soymilk.

"I shouldn't have got you the thermal blender." Machiko was blowing on her glass of soymilk, cooling it down. It's not that she went out of her way to get Bar 4/7 a thermal blender; Sakira won it through sheer luck when she was spinning the garapon wheel at a random stand at a festival she went to with Hokusai. Sakira won not once, not twice, but three times. The owner of the stand had to firmly but politely tell her to go away. One thermal blender was at Akanyatsura's abode, The Tsuiteru family already have one so they didn't need it...GokuLuck abode and Bar 4/7 ended up keeping the blenders. "Yohei, I keep telling you I like it cold."

"And I keep telling you, you're pregnant and I think the little one in you would prefer it hot. Look, Machiko, the inside of the human body is like a cauldron. You're supposed to keep it warm. It's good for your organs on the long term."

Machiko pouted and then she looked at Iori but the other just shrugged his shoulders. 

"You do this all the time, Iori. Every time I tell you to get involved with something, you don't get involved. When I don't want you to get involved, you poke your nose in."

"Ahaha! You read my mind perfectly! Gotta keep that up knowing it irritates ya!" 

"Do you want to be glassed?" Machiko threatened Iori. 

"Glass him without making a mess all over the counter." Yohei said while cleaning a glass cup. "By the way, I heard Ryu almost blabbed. Saki didn't find out, did she?" 

"Nope. Satsuki and Reo were able to distract her. Can't let her find out our Hokusai is planning to ask for her hand in marriage here, can we?!" Iori was happy about Hokusai planning to propose to Sakira here in Bar 4/7 soon. "I keep telling him I will buy the ring but he insisted he will work for it instead. What a good kid."

"I know, right?" When Machiko said that, both men looked at her as if she said something no one would ever say. "What?" 

"I could have sworn when Michiyo-chan was alive, ya hated that green haired brat being close to her." Iori pointed out. 

"That's different! He's a little shit and Hokusai isn't! When Hokusai told me his plan to propose, I was over the moon! Only one person isn't over the moon though." 

"And who is that?" Yohei asked. 

"My dad." 

Both men silently and telepathically said 'That's to be expected' to one another.

Later that night, Ranfa arrived at Bar 4/7 to help Machiko get into Hancho's car. This was all a plan to get Ranfa to come over.

"Don't worry, Machiko-san. Ranfa-san will be safe here." Saimon said to Machiko. 

"Machiko, I only know how to drink. I don't know how to make them." Ranfa said to Machiko. She didn't think Machiko would recommend her to work here for Saimon and Yohei at Bar 4/7!

Machiko gave Ranfa a new place of belonging, new clothes, and now a new job. She was determined to help Ranfa walk down a path that's more normal. What Michiyo will never have, she wanted Ranfa to have them. "You will be fine, Ranfa. Saimon and Yohei will teach you. Besides, you're not alone. Shiki-kun and Ryu-kun are here. See?"

In the background, 23 year old Shiki was trying to tell Ryu not to bother Yohei with the mop because Yohei was getting close to striking back. 

"Machiko, no offense, but it looks like I will be protecting them from hurting themselves than helping me out." Ranfa wasn't sure she will fit in here. 

"I know it feels that way but trust me."

Ranfa pouted but then she gave in and promised she will work here and she look forward to being here.

"Also, the place where Ryoga is working at is kind of close by." Machiko reminded her.  

"So if some idiot decides to mess with the bar, I get him to beat them?" 

"No, just get him to come in. His height and muscle alone will scare them off." Ryoga will have an increased sentence if he were reported to use violence but it's not reportable if he used his height and muscle as means of intimidation. Who will stupidly mess with someone who looked like they could clobber them with a flick of a finger anyway?

Helping Machiko carefully get into Hancho's car, they're ready to head home.

"Helping me this much, is it really okay?" Ranfa asked her. 

"Of course it is. Machiko patted Ranfa's head, "All you have to do is reach out and I'll always help you, Ranfa." 

Hancho looked at the mirror and he could see Ranfa's shy smile. "Huh, she really looks like Michiyo..." He thought it was a good thing to have Ranfa around. Machiko had been happier since she met her. 'Can the other me see this? Can he see Machiko is smiling again?' He thought as he began to drive.

Unknown to them, someone staggered away in the shadow. He found out where to find Ranfa...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranfa had a new normal now. She's no longer just a young woman playing around in the night drinking until she couldn't remember a thing. Aimlessly living and drinking away were no longer the norm. She's waking up at normal hours, go to work, and learning something new. She had something to look forward to and she's happy about it. She found herself enjoying something as simple as eating a meal with other people.

She's about to have a cigarette break from learning how to run a bar but when noticed Machiko approaching, Ranfa put it away immediately. She knew better than to smoke in front of a pregnant woman.

"You know? Hancho complains how I forget I am pregnant but there are times when he still lit a cigarette in front of me. The fact a smoke addict like Shion puts it away before he does is what's ironic." 

Ranfa laughed a little at what Machiko said. "Yohei-san was right about the timing." 

"What timing?" 

"For your glass of soymilk." 

"Geh... I bet it's hot."

"It isn't." 

"Phew."

"It's warm." 

"Eh..." Machiko smiled; Ranfa knew how to make jokes and poke fun at others too. "How's work?"

"I was taught how to handle Ryu today. I was told to be gentle at first and the last resort is to knock him in the head." Machiko sweatdropped at Ranfa's response because she knew for a fact it was Yohei the one teaching her what to do if Ryu refused to co-operate.

"I am glad you are working very well, Ranfa. Keep it up! I look forward to having the first drink you will make me." 

"That won't be for a good while because the baby will be breastfeeding from you. I don't think they'd want alcohol in their milk."

Machiko pouted, "Why is everyone robbing my rights to have a good drink?" Though she's complaining, she was happy to know everyone cared about her and her baby. "Oh? I think I felt a kick! Touch here, touch here." 

Ranfa touched the spot where Machiko told her to touch. Barely, she felt a small and tiny push against her palm. "I felt it...!"

Machiko started to gush how excited she was to meet her baby. She wanted it to be a surprise so she told her doctors not to tell her the sex of the baby. "If she's a girl, she's most likely going to be adorable like Saki and Yuto. If he's a boy, I think he will be a bit like the three of us." Machiko wasn't sure if Ranfa will ever meet the kind part of Inukai Yuto but she's hoping they will meet because Machiko was certain the kind part of Inukai Yuto ran away because of Michiyo's death. Machiko wondered if Yuto meeting Ranfa will be a good thing?

There's something Ranfa always wanted to know. "Machiko?" 

"Hm?" 

"How do you know Hancho or Yuto is the one you will grow old with? There's a lot of people you will meet... how do you know you won't regret choosing him?" The idea of having children and growing old with someone felt surreal to Ranfa. She's used to people coming and going. Things like relationships were too risky to her; how do you know you won't be used and pushed aside? It always hurts the most when you pour in heart and soul into a relationship only to gain nothing out of it in the end. People who were able to build something like a family amazed Ranfa because she always wanted to ask 'How do you do it?'.

Machiko looked at Ranfa with a sympathetic look; it must be hard for someone who was distrustful of others to open their heart to trust again after being hurt. "Because fate is funny like that. There can be many different places and worlds but I am positive in this one- even if I'm with someone else, Yuto and Hancho will always be in my heart." She touched her stomach, thinking about the baby that will soon arrive in this world. "I won't ever regret being with them. There are struggles, I won't lie about them. There are also people who still aren't sure if he will be a good husband or a father, but I believe I will overcome them as long as he is there. When Michi died, Hancho had been by my side through it all. With Yuto hiding away, he was the one who was always there."

Ranfa listened attentively. "I wonder if I will have a future like the one you have but with Shion." 

"Shion, huh? Haha, I'm sure he will be happy to hear you say that. He's very fond of you after all."

Ranfa smiled hearing that. She liked Shion a lot too. 

The door opened and it's Yohei. "Machiko, huh? Oi, come inside. I need to talk to you about that thing." The thing referred to Hokusai's upcoming proposal to Machiko's little sister. "And don't think chatting out here will make your soymilk cold. That isn't happening." 

"You're so mean to me! Give me a break, Yohei!" 

Ranfa was about to come inside but there's something she needed to deal with. "Machiko, go inside first. I want to have a cigarette." 

"Sure."

The very moment Machiko entered Bar 4/7, Ranfa walked across the road and she entered alley way between two buildings. She removed her leather glove with each step and she pocket her glove. The moment she was about to turn the corner within the dimness, she was an inch from having a cut on her face by her ex acquaintance's snap off knife. She was expecting the other to attack her so she was able to dodge it in time. Given how weak her attacker was to start with, she had no problem confronting him. "You sure are stubborn." She grabbed her ex acquaintance by the wrist that's holding the knife, making sure he dropped it. She touched him by the skin and slowly his wrist began to rust away like metal over the course of time. "What do you hope to achieve by coming back to me? You know me touching you with my bare hands is like a slow poison. Or is this something that thrills you?" She let go of his wrist and she watched him trying to flex his fingers as if to check if his hand was still working. She smiled cruelly knowing he was losing sense in his right hand. 

This time Machiko won't be here with a crowd of people stopping him. He thought he had a better chance to fight her in the back alley but clearly he overestimated himself.

"You did this to me and think you can get away with it...?!"

Ranfa scoffed at his words, "Clearly I have got away with it. I have a new life, a new place, new friends, and a new love I am very fond of. I am no longer the Sakura Ranfa who live and breathe only in the night. I am Sakura Ranfa with a future." 

Her ex acquaintance smiled ironically as he swallowed a handful of pills. Ranfa had no idea what pills they were but she didn't care. In fact, it'd be better for her if he overdosed right now. After taking the pills, he felt a lot better. "You really think changing all that changes your true self, Ranfa? At the end of the day, no matter how much you try and change, you are still the same tainted girl. You are cruel, heartless, and merciless. You are ruthless to the people you claim to love."

"It's better than you." Ranfa watched him slump against the wall. Was it the after effect of taking too much of those pills at once? Did the color of the rust fade slightly? Did someone discover a cure to counter her touches that caused one's body to rust like metal? "Remember how I gave you the money thinking you will use the money and save Granny? Remember how you drugged me and let other men play with my body? Remember how you said to me I was your one and only? I am tainted, huh? I don't think I've done enough to you."

Why was he so fixated on her hurting her? Because she destroyed the part of him that's important to a man.

Ranfa grinned, "I told you I will give you a handjob that will change your life. And I did just that. Is it still attached? Or are you a modern day eunuch?"

"I'll fucking kill you!"

Ranfa dodged him again. "This way, dumbass. If you want to kill me, you have to follow. Try not to die on the way there~." 

Like a small fish attracted to the light emitted by an anglerfish, he's following her...not knowing he was prey to an impending danger.

Another person followed far from behind...

Chapter Text

Being betrayed, being hurt, being scarred, being tainted... there had not been a moment for Ranfa where she thought life was worth looking forward to. Meeting Shion, Machiko, and the others, Ranfa felt warmth of human kindness. She thought no one else other than her granny will love her. Now knowing she had a place to go back to with people waiting for her, she felt happiness once again. She wondered if God was finally showing her mercy. It was as if God graced her with their tender hand on her head telling her 'You've suffered enough. You can finally be happy'. So why? Why did this parasite had to come back and haunt her? She thought she already dealt with him so why was he back to ruin her life? "I'll just have to do it again." She said as she laid a trap just for him.

"Ranfa, get back here! I'll fucking kill you! If I don't kill you..." Like a maniac, he had a new and twisted idea in mind, "I'll kill the new guy you are fucking with. Or how about that woman who stopped us having our moment?! I have a thing for pregnant women too! Ahahaha!"

If he paid attention to his surrounding, he would have realized how much danger he was in, he would have realized Ranfa lured him into an abandoned factory. There's no security cameras, no sign of anyone living here. If anything should happen to him, no one will know. He's too consumed by the aftereffect of the pills he had taken to slow down the rusting on his body to be sane. The doctor did warn him not to take too many at once as too many of the pill will make him lose sanity. 

"Does he know about how you will sleep with anyone to have a roof over your head?! It doesn't matter if the man has a wife or a girlfriend! As long as you get a roof over your head, anything goes, right?! How many families have you wrecked for your own selfishness?!" 

He heard the sound of a soft melody playing in the room right next to him. He opened the door and he had to cover his nose because he felt dust flying into his airways. He kept his eyes squint as his eyes felt the irritant of whatever dust it was that's flying into his eyes. He stupidly ventured into the dark room not knowing the impending danger he was putting himself in. "Why is it so dusty in here? Shit..." 

The source of the sound he heard was a very old smartphone. He saw an unknown number and he answered it. 

"The very moment you chose to hurt me, you have dug yourself a grave. No one hurts me and gets away with it. No one." In Ranfa's hand was a switch. She pressed it without hesitation, she turned on the lights where her ex acquaintance was located. She grinned because the room exploded and flames engulfed everything within the room. Did you know? When the conditions were met, it was possible to cause an explosion with dust; the presence of combustible dust, oxygen, an enclosed space, and an ignition source could cause the so-called dust explosion that had the potential to take lives each year be it in the workplace or homes. In Ranfa's case, she lured him into a very dusty room with highly flammable pigment dust forming clouds inside. The light to illuminate the room became the source of ignition. "Well, aren't I lucky?" The explosion blew her ex acquaintance all the way from the second floor to the ground floor where she was. She looked down at him, his body was charred, burnt, she could even hear the angry searing of skin being cooked under the intensity of the heat that lingered on the body. He was unrecognizable. "I am tainted like you said, but I have never asked others to approach me. They chose to let me into their world. They don't get to complain how I make things worse for them when they invited me in. I am not to blame." She grabbed him by the neck with her bare hand. Rust began to taint the man's neck. New rust and old signs of rust started to course through his body, ridding the remaining color of life on skin. "You don't bring me into your world and then throw me away once my worth is done. You think you can hurt me and get away with it? You can't."

"Stop..." He could only utter one word. Why? Why at that very moment did he think back to the time where they were once happy? Why did he think about her who used to smile innocently at him? Where did it all go wrong? Was this God's way of telling him if he had treated Ranfa better then none of this would happen? "It was...that simple...this whole time..." 

"If I lose anything being with you or anyone..." Her fingers dug into his neck. "I'll make sure you and everyone lose everything!" 

"..." He could no longer feel a single thing. Taste, hearing, touch, sight, and smell were gone. His mind was there. He just stared at the ceiling not knowing he was covered entirely by rust.

"Stay here and die." Ranfa spat on his face and even kicked him in the head like a soccer ball. 

Leaving the factory, Ranfa decided to lit herself a cigarette. "Can't believe I have to waste a damn phone on him." This was fine- Ranfa felt someone grab her ankle. "...?!" She thought it was her ex acquaintance but no it was a young woman who looked her age. What was she doing here?! 

The young woman was injured because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was injured by the dust explosion and a large piece of sharp glass was embedded into her abdomen. A puddle of blood stained the ground where she was. The woman had medium-length purple hair. Her brown eyes weakly looked up at Ranfa. "M-Michi..." 

Ranfa heard it. It was barely a weak whisper but Ranfa heard it. Who was this woman? This woman followed her because she thought Ranfa was Michiyo. "Michiyo once again..." It's because of 'Michiyo' Ranfa was able to have this very simple happiness. Ranfa was about to call the ambulance but then she stopped herself; how much did this woman see and hear? Ranfa had been blackmailed by so many people throughout her life and she's not prepared to have another person blackmail her. How many times had she been blackmailed to sleep with men she did not know?  Ranfa did not want her past or her cruelty to be seen by people she cared about. She gently kicked the young woman's hold on her away. Ranfa knelt down and she sadly looked at the woman and she covered the woman's eyes with her bare hand. "I don't know what you were hoping to achieve by coming here. Consider yourself unlucky."

The young woman felt weird. It was as if the cells in her body was being replaced by something foreign. What was going on with her body? She felt freezing cold, she felt like she was dipped in lava! She felt her body begin to rust like metal. It started from where Ranfa touched her and it's covering her entire body. 

"Onee-chan...Hoku...sai..." That was the last thing the young woman said before falling to the side like a wilted flower.

Ranfa was done. The woman fell to the ground. When she fell, she landed in her own pool of blood. If Ranfa had called for the ambulance maybe this woman could be saved. But because Ranfa chose not to save this woman, she died from Metal Erosion caused by Ranfa's touch. She never understood why it never worked on Shion. She just wanted to go home right now and pretend this was all just a bad dream. "Shion..." She just wanted to kill her ex acquaintance! She didn't mean to involve an innocent person! "She shouldn't be here. It's her fault for being here." All she could do was justify what she did. "Ah...I can't go home. The bar...I need to go back there..." Each step she took, she kept praying this will be the end of it.

...

Ranfa returned to Bar 4/7. as if nothing bad happened. Why were there so many people in here? Customers? They didn't seem like the type to sit down quietly and have a calm night and drink. She did not recognize most of them.

"WHAT?! She really looks like Michiyo-chan!" 23 year old Reo could not believe what he was seeing! "Shibaken, she really looks like Michiyo-chan! She could be twins!" 

"Ranfa, the bar is closed early so we can have a small celebration. Here, hold this." Machiko gave Ranfa a party popper.

"Eh? A party? Birthday?"  

"Ranfa-chan, there you are~." Shion was happy to see she was here and he patted her head before he put a party hat on her. "Glad you can make it. I was sad when I heard you went out and I couldn't find you. Where did you go?" 

"Putting trash away." She was so happy to see Shion again. She hugged him because she was mentally exhausted. 

"Someone wants to be spoiled~." He didn't mind spoiling her. He hugged her with both arms. He had no idea how protected she felt within his arms. She always needed to find ways to protect herself so it felt nice feeling protected instead. 

"Hm." It's over now. She could finally live happy.

"When we get back, okay~?" 

"Hm."

Akanyatsura members came over to Ranfa and they introduced themselves to her. They were fond of Michiyo so to see Ranfa and hear her voice, it reminded them of the young girl they were once fond of. Ranfa had no idea Michiyo left a lot of things behind. Friends here and there, people she could see as family, even someone who loved her. Michiyo lived a good life.

"I'm Hokusai." 

Ranfa didn't show any signs of shock because if she did, everyone will be looking at her weirdly. She had always been good at hiding how she really felt on the spot. "Nice to meet you, Hokusai." She told herself it was just a coincidence. She told herself to just stand there and be normal. It will be over before she knew it.

Machiko was in the background, calling someone on her phone. She's not getting through though by the look on her face. Ranfa approached Machiko, "Are you calling Hancho?" 

"No, I'm calling Saki. My little sister~. She's a little bit older than you but I am sure you will be good friends." 

"Is she a good friend of Michiyo's too?" Ranfa asked her. 

"Yep. Michi and her used to gush on and on about Japanese voice actors. Seriously, those two could talk nonstop~." Machiko smiled fondly at the memory of her little sister and Michiyo getting along. She still remember how they stopped gushing and fangirling because Machiko made snacks and then it became gushing about how tasty her baked treats were.

"I don't know much about Japanese voice actors though. I don't know if I will be a good friend to her like Michiyo did." 

Machiko smiled and she touched Ranfa's shoulder, "You'll be fine. Saki is very kind. Want to see a picture of her? She's adorable~." 

Ranfa chuckled, "Adorable? From your family tree? I would have pictured her to look equally erotic like you." 

"Why does everyone think it's impossible for anyone in my family to be cute?! Here." 

Ranfa's smile slowly dropped. She recognized the girl in the photo Machiko presented just now. It was the same woman Ranfa had dealt with. At that very moment, Ranfa stood there thinking why God must torture her like this. Why couldn't they give her a rest? 

"Isn't Saki just adorable~?! This party, I'll tell you this now! Hokusai over there is going to propose to her~!" 

Ranfa wasn't listening anymore. When Hokusai introduced himself to her just now, she thought it was just a coincidence. She had just murdered someone she was not supposed to murder. For the sake of protecting herself, she ended up screwing things up greatly. She always thought she could never do anything wrong if it's for her own sake. 

"But where is she? She said she will come here. Hmm..." 

Ranfa felt sick. She didn't want to be here. She felt unwell. 

"Ranfa-chan? Are you okay?" 

"Shion..." 

"You're sweating. Everything okay?" 

"I...I've probably not had enough sleep. I've been working all day, you see." 

"Your cigarette break was long. What? Your lungs are giving out on you?" Mikoshiba was being a dick but this was nothing new. Also, Ranfa knew he was just joking. 

"Funny." 

"Hmm... then, how about this? When Saki accept Hokusai's ring, we'll go home and sleep. I'll hold you tight so you can have nice dreams." Hearing Shion say that made her happy. She would love that very much...but she had just hurt the one person she promised to protect. How could she? "Ranfa-chan, don't worry so much." 

"Huh?" 

"Saki-chan will appear. She loves Hokusai so much so I can't see her reject his proposal."

What should have been a happy event was ruined because of one wrong mistake. It's a mistake she could never undo as well.

Machiko finally got a phone call. But it's not a phone call she was expecting in a million years. 

"Machiko!" Ranfa quickly rushed over to support Machiko to make sure she won't hurt the baby in her stomach. 

"Ranfa...! Ranfa...! Saki, she's...! She's...!" 

Ranfa didn't know what to say or do. She's scared of getting caught. What will Machiko do to her if she found out what really happened to her sister? Ranfa will lose everything! What should Ranfa do now? 

Everyone was confused but eventually Hokusai received a phone call. "Hello? The hospital? Eh...Saki...!" Hokusai rushed out of Bar 4/7. Everything was spiraling out of Ranfa's control! 

"Hokusai!" Iori grabbed Hokusai's wrist once he caught up with him. "Hokusai, what happened?!" 

"Saki's dead...!" 

"...what?" 

Everyone was stunned by the news. What was supposed to be Sakira's happiest day became Machiko's and Hokusai's worst nightmare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was not supposed to be like this. It was not supposed to be like this! What should happen was Sakira come into Bar 4/7 confused why everyone was here and then go 'Fueh?!' when everyone release the confetti from their party poppers. Sakira was supposed to be confused and crying at the same time as Hokusai get on his knee and propose to her. 

Sakira's lifeless body horrified Machiko. "WHY?! WHAT IS THIS RUST ALL OVER HER?! WHAT IS THIS?!" She could struggle all she could to get rid of the rust stuck on Sakira's dead body but it was not coming off. 

"Machi...!" Hokusai had to support Machiko to make sure she's not overexerting herself and putting her baby at risk. "Machi, please...!" 

"Hokusai, why did this happen?!"

Hokusai didn't know how to answer. Was it an accident? Was she murdered? "Saki couldn't be murdered. She is so kind. Someone so kind doesn't deserve this..." Hokusai was confused. He didn't know what could have happened for Sakira to end up like this. 

Hancho and Iori entered the morgue within the hospital.

"Hancho..." Machiko tearfully looked at her husband, "Hancho, Saki...! Saki, she's...!" 

"I know. I hear you." Hancho looked down at Sakira's dead body. A thin sheet covered her but her face was visible. "The rusts on her..." 

"Metal Erosion." Iori said as he touched Sakira's cold cheek to touch the rusting mark on her closed eyes. "Are you thinking about the same thing, Inukai?" Iori asked without looking at Hancho. 

"Whoever did this to Sakira has special ability similar to Michiyo." 

Machiko, Iori, and Hancho didn't say it out loud but they swore they will find Sakira's killer and make them suffer. 

"I want to find the killer."

"Hokusai, no. You can't get yourself involved-" 

Hokusai took out a purple velvet box that contained a ring. It was the ring he had saved up for ages to get. His friends wanted to chip in but Hokusai did not let anyone chip in. This ring was literally his sweat and tears to get. He will never see her reaction upon receiving it now. He removed the ring from the box and he slipped the ring onto Sakira's ring finger. "I've always been worried. Worried if my past will affect you. But you told me you love me for me and my past doesn't matter. You told me if there are a lot of parallel worlds, you will always find me and tell me you love me." Hokusai put Sakira's cold hand down. "I need to find the one who killed Saki. I need to ask them something." 

The prisoners were told they had to stay in the house. 

"Saki is dead..." Ryoga said to Shion. 

"...ah." Shion was having a cigarette but he did not enjoy it like usual. He's just letting smoke emit from the stick. He's wasting it but he's really conflicted by all the issues going on right now.

Ranfa didn't go to Shion right away. She didn't feel it was right to get a hug from him right now. If he found out what she did, will he still protect her? Ranfa went into the prisoner's bedroom and she fell to her knees. "God..." She's not religious or anything but her hands were together. She's praying. "Even if there's no God, I am praying... please... please stop..." Her forehead touched the carpet. "I'm so sorry..."

Because curtains were installed on the bottom bunk of the beds, she did not notice Mikoshiba was in here sulking on his own. 'Why did she say that?' Mikoshiba thought to himself.

Chapter Text

Ranfa couldn't get any sleep. Machiko did not visit the prisoners like she used to either. It's making Ranfa paranoid; did Machiko find out any clues leading to her? What should she do? She needed to leave-

"Shion, can we talk?" If she's going to run away, she wanted Shion to come with her at the very least. She should really escape on her own but she didn't want to leave Shion behind because she loved him and she wanted to be with him forever. 

Shion quickly hid his phone from her. Why did he do that? "Ranfa-chan, you sure know how to walk around the house without a sound." He pocketed his phone, "What is it?" 

Ranfa sat on the floor and scooted closer to him until their arm touched. "Shion, why have you never considered running away? You have the ability to leave when you want, don't you?" She knew about Mikoshiba's dangerously high IQ and how he's able to bypass even the security lock on their front door. She couldn't understand why Ryoga, Shion, and Mikoshiba never tried to leave. Was it that hard to escape Hancho?

"Hmm...more like where will I go? It is easy to leave but where will I go? I don't have a future out there." Shion smiled and he touched her cheek, "But here, I have you." 

"...what if I want to leave?" 

"Eh?" 

"What if we go to a place where no one knows about us? What if we go to a secluded place with a nice beach? I've never been to Malaysia. I hear it's very relaxing there." 

Shion was now cupping her cheeks with both hands, "What happened? Why are you thinking that? It's not like my usual Ranfa-chan." 

Was she overdoing with her wish upon him? Did she make the wrong move? She should pull it back slightly. "Never mind... I guess you are comfortable here. I don't blame you." 

"Are you upset?" 

"Not at all." Shion knew that was a lie.

"Ranfa-chan, if you want to leave for a place no one knows us, I'll go with you. It's just not now. Will you wait for me?" 

In the end, Shion will choose her. She hugged him. Like a lost child finally finding their parent. She held onto him and cried.

"Silly girl, why do you need to cry?" 

"I feel overwhelmed."

"Then let's just do nothing and stay like this."

"Will you pat my head and tell me everything will be okay?" 

Shion will indulge her because he enjoyed doing so. "You're a good girl. Everything will be okay. I don't know what's making you worried but it will be okay. I'm always on your side. Even if the world is against you, I will always be by your side." He had no idea how much this promise meant to her. 

"Thank you." She chose not to doubt him. She chose to believe him. She told herself as long as she believed in him, she won't fear a thing.

"Thanks a lot for your help, Zen, Kanata." Iori was sitting in his office and he's talking to Zen and Kanata, who was helping to uncover the truth.

"I have a colleague who knows people working within forensics and autopsies. They were able to identify the man. The cause of death isn't the explosion." 

"Seriously?" Kanata asked.

"The autopsy report says the cells in the corpse were all replaced by foreign cells. I guess the rusting on his body is the cause of death." 

"Metal Erosion." Iori touched his amulet. Even though he could not activate his phantom ever again, he still kept it on him. For the sake of nostalgia? Who knows? "Saki-chan's cause of death is the same, right?" 

"A large piece of glass was embedded into Saki-chan's body. The cause of death is the same rust that killed the man. Forensics said if Saki-chan received medical aid in time, she wouldn't have died since the glass' lodging kept blood loss at minimal." 

"I see." Iori was angry hearing that though his face was calm. "That means they killed Saki-chan because her survival would be troublesome for the killer." Iori then looked at Kanata, "Zen, ya gave the name of the man to Kanata?"

"I don't know how useful my info is but that man is better off dead if you ask me." Kanata wasn't going to take up this job at first because it had nothing to do with him but when Iori mentioned Machiko's little sister died, Kanata was slightly sympathetic and willing to lend a hand; if Nayuta died and it's not an accident, he'd want to know who the killer was and kill them himself. He knew how Machiko feel so he took the job in hope it will give Machiko the step forward she will need to get to the killer. "I've asked around and the man is one bad deal. Blackmailing women and prostituting them to other men, drug dealing, fraud, and using violence to solve all of his problems. He's one piece of shit. The killer attacked him with an explosion and then finished him off? A bit of an overkill but I don't blame them. They must really hate him to do that." 

"Hate, huh?" Was it as simple as hate alone? Hating this man was enough to kill Sakira for it? He looked at the document Zen provided. It was the man's autopsy as well as Sakira's. There's a list of items too that were on the corpses when they were found. "Where's Saki-chan's phone?" 

"Eh?" Zen looked at the document. "The phone isn't there...I don't think the police mentioned finding it."

"Kanata, can I rely on ya?" 

"It's easier to move alone anyway." Kanata was willing to help. "After finding this phone, I am not helping anymore." 

"Kanata-kun!" 

"I understand." Iori agreed.

"Young Master!" 

"It's best not to get the young ones too involved in this case. It's not safe."

"Thanks for understanding." Kanata thanked Iori for understanding him.

"Zen, Kanata, that will be all." 

"Are you sure?" Zen asked. "I want to help Young Master and Hokusai catch the killer. To do that to that man is one thing but to Saki-chan...I can't forgive that person too." 

"I understand, Zen. It's just I need some time on my own to think what the next step is." 

Zen and Kanata walked out of Iori's office. Zen was visibly worried; will anyone else be killed trying to catch the killer? 

"I'm going." Kanata said to Zen. 

"Kanata-kun." 

"What?" 

"Thanks for your help." 

"Suiseki-san just know how to make use of others to get his information. Telling us to go away is no exception." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm saying not everyone's method is an ideal one." Kanata left the Akanyatsura abode. Maybe it was best not to get too involved in this. He didn't want to die for no reason. Being frightened of death was not the first thing on his mind, it was leaving Nayuta on his own that he's frightened of more than his own death.

Hancho received a phone call. "Here I thought you wouldn't call. Give me all the info you have."

"I know we did agree to call truce to our issue, but I don't recall taking orders from ya." Iori replied. 

"Pathetic talk from someone who needs my help." Hancho was not stupid; the reason why Iori called was because there's something only Hancho's side could do and Iori could not do. 

"I'm doing this for Hokusai and Machi. I don't remember begging ya." 

"What do you want Mikoshiba to do?" Hancho was smart enough to deduce Iori needed the genius hacker to do something.

"Look up for more information on the man who died in the explosion. Also...assuming we find Saki-chan's phone, what are the odds he could open it and see what's inside?" 

"Are you saying there could be information in there to catch the killer?" 

"Maybe." 

"If it's Mikoshiba, he could do it. He did throw the country into array at a young age."

"Heh, you really are the bad guys." 

"I don't wanna hear that from someone who call themselves Akanyatsura." 

"Ahahaha! Our group name DOES mean the bad guys! Hahaha! But...that's nothing compared to ya and yer boys, am I right?" 

"Hmph. Without us, you'd be stuck in the mud." 

Iori chose not to argue further. "How's Machi doing I hear Machi and ya were the last ones to leave." 

"She's not doing well. How can she be well after what happened." 

"Did you take her to the hospital for a check up?" 

"She broke down at the check up. The thought of Sakira not being there to see her niece or nephew is breaking her heart. I better find the killer and bring this to an end."

"What's your idea of bringing this to an end?" Iori asked Hancho.

"That's fucking stupid question. Kill them, obviously. I don't need to understand stupid shit like reasons. Everyone has a reason when they do stupid shit. If we keep listening to everyone's reason behind why they do this or that, we'd be too busy. I'm here to put an end to this not trying to dig into the mind of the killer here. I couldn't care less how they feel justified doing what they did. The fact still stands they killed Sakira and they're not getting away with it." 

"Glad we're on the same track then." Never in a million years would Iori think he'd be working together with his enemy in order to bring justice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few nights went by.

Shion being in a nightclub setting was nothing new but to be in a fancy setting, it was truly something else. Sure he was getting a couple of stares here and there from others but he paid them no attention. The woman sitting across from him in a beautiful black dress was what mattered. The woman was in her 40's but she was doing well for herself. Her body language and the way she carried herself told everyone that she relied on no one but herself to be where she was.

"Aren't you glad you got to know me, Kaida-kun? And here I thought we wouldn't have a chance to go out for dinner. Did you find yourself a new kitten?" 

"You can say that. In order to be with this new kitten, I will need to plan my steps properly. You promised to help me, right?"

"Of course~! You have showed me such wonderful times so this is the least I can do for you. Your appraisal came back and it's looking good for you. Parole is just a corner away."

"That's good." 

The older woman put her hand on top of Shion's hand, "I know you have a new kitten and all but for old time's sake, how about the usual place after dinner?"

Shion smiled, "Sure thing. Excuse me for a moment." Shion went to the men's room. He went to do the usual business a man would do in there. He washed his hands, dried them, and then he redid the ponytail since it was a little loose. The woman was a lawyer and he had been sleeping around with her. He needed her in order to get parole or an appeal to come around quicker. He had been having dinner and sleeping around with her from time to time but that had lessened especially meeting Ranfa. He needed her to be serious so he's hoping to charm her real well and make her put in the effort. 

Returning to the dinner table, he saw someone he did not expect. "Ranfa-chan-"

Ranfa didn't even hesitate when she threw water at the woman's face. The woman was absolutely stunned by Ranfa's action. She couldn't believe Ranfa just walked over to her and threw water on her! "Why did you do that?! You ruined my makeup and hair!" 

Ranfa was forcefully escorted out. She caught glimpse of Shion, who looked conflicted on what to do. He mouthed 'Go home first' to Ranfa. Ranfa was heartbroken. She had no choice but to go home first.

"Shion! Shion! That woman- did you see that?! She threw water at me!" 

"Yes, yes, I see it. But isn't it better like this? I always liked you better when you're nice and wet for me~." 

"Ah...you...! Geez! It's hard to stay mad when you're like this!"

Ranfa was thrown out onto the street. The waiters who forcefully removed her from their premises reminded her to know her place and that this place wasn't for her type to come and dine. 

"Why are you acting so haughty like you own the whole restaurant? You're basically a glorified waiter. You're no different from the ones working in a cheap diner." 

"Know your fucking place, you fucking bitch!" The waiter trying to slap her ended up receiving a rusted wrist after Ranfa came in contact with their wrist with her bare hand. She was going to touch the woman with her bare hand but there was a change of plan. There's a change of plan in everything now. "Unforgivable..."  She made a phone call. 

Ryoga returned home since Hancho was keeping Machiko company throughout most of the day. Ryoga thought he will need to walk home alone but his manager where he was working at for the prisoner rehabilitation program, offered to drive him home. 

"Hisui, thanks." 

"Hey, no problem at all. You talked lots to me and I ended up learning a lot about your friends. I also learnt a lot how much you care for them." 

"Y-yeah..." 

"Ryoga, if there's anything you need, let me know. I'll lend you a hand, okay?" 

"...I don't want to trouble you."

"It's not troubling at all." Hisui was his 36 year old female boss of 'You're gonna lift that, Bro?' shop where it sold protein shakes and gym equipments. He always thought Inukai Yuto's baby face was at new heights but Hisui probably beat him in the baby face department! When he found out her age, he was shocked! He didn't believe it to the point he demanded she showed him her ID! When Hisui saw Ryoga's built, she thought 'Hell yeah, I found the shop's mascot!' sales gone up because the gym brothers and sisters wanted to achieve Ryoga's build. Ryoga liked her in a romantic way but she always saw him as a kid. "When I first met you, I remember you were hiding a lot of pain. It's already been 5 years..." 

That pain was the unacceptable reality of Michiyo's death. After the one year anniversary of Michiyo's death, Ryoga wasn't sure what to do with this frustrating and angry feeling in his heart. He always felt protective of the young girl. Knowing there was nothing he or anyone could do to stop her death, it hurts. The person was gone but the pain remained. What should the people remaining do with the pain of loss? When Hisui held his and sat down with him at the time, she lent him a shoulder to cry on. No words were needed at the time.

"They say a man shouldn't cry...but I believe when a man does cry, the very least a person could do is lend them a shoulder to cry on. If you ever need a place to cry, come and find me. Cry it out and then find ways to live tomorrow in a way you can be proud of yourself, okay?" This was why he liked Hisui. When he felt like he's about to fall, she will be there to pull him up again. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, alright?" 

"Thanks...Hisui?" 

"Hm?" 

"What I said. I was serious." 

"I know you're serious. But I can't accept your feelings." 

"...I see." 

Hisui drove the car away after making sure he's inside the house safely. Hisui sighed and she covered her mouth, "I can't believe he's not over it?!" Her heart won't stop beating! "I'm literally a middle aged woman! I can be his older sister!" It's not that Hisui didn't want to accept his feelings. It's just he's still young and he had youth on his side. One day he will meet someone much younger and much better than her. Ryoga did not have to choose her.

Going inside, Ryoga wondered why it was eerily quiet. "Inukai? Machi?" No response. "Shion?" Again, no response. "Shibaken-" He opened the bedroom door to the prisoner's shared bedroom because it was ajar...and he saw Mikoshiba on the ground. "Shibaken?!" That was not all. Mikoshiba's phantom, his digitalized shiba inu puppy was barking at the fallen Mikoshiba. "W-why are you out...? What happened?! Shibaken! Oi!"

The phantom puppy barked at Ryoga, circling around the door and then pointing to the living room with its head. 

"Living room...?" There's a camera in the living room set up here because there used to be times where they had to leave Michiyo home. Ryoga wasn't sure how to work with these technical things though. 

The digitalized puppy helped! It barked once and it made the security cam function! 

"Oh! Good boy!" 

"Arf!"

He looked at the camera to see exactly what happened this afternoon...

"The hell are you telling me to do? Do you even hear yourself? You want me to dig info on this old bitch? No way." 

"You're the only one I can rely on!"  Ryoga could see Shion's phone in Ranfa's hand. It was unlocked in Ranfa's hold. "You have the ability to help me so why won't you?! It's not like you will get caught!" 

"That's not the point! Use your head for a second, Ranfa! Shion could sleep with anyone! Why is he sleeping with this woman from time to time! She must have something only Shion could get from her!"

"I just want to know who she is and what does she have that Shion doesn't want me to know about?!" 

"You really are paranoid. Fine, I'll help you. Just get off my back after this." 

Ryoga watched on. He had no idea what Mikoshiba did on his laptop but it seemed like he was able to get the results Ranfa wanted.

"Lawyer. Got it. I know how to deal with her."

"Oi, whatever you are thinking of doing, don't."

"Why not? It's obvious this woman is taking advantage of Shion! Sleeping around, treating him like a toyboy...! Unforgivable! She's using the pretense of parole and an appeal so Shion can be free! Think about it! Does it take more than 5 years to do this?! Really?!" 

"What they're doing isn't any of our business, Ranfa. Don't get involved-" 

"NO!" Ryoga could see Mikoshiba was shocked to see Ranfa this worked up. Ryoga did not blame Mikoshiba because it sounded like Michiyo voicing her frustration. "That old bat has everything I want and she's trying to take the one thing I cannot lose!" 

"C-calm down, Ranfa...so what if he sleeps with the 40 year old bitch? He'd clean up himself anyway. Stop acting like a jealous high school girl-" 

"Fuck off, Mikoshiba! Don't group my anger to that of a jealous school girl...!" Slowly, Ranfa explained herself. "That old bitch can sleep with anyone. Not Shion. Shion is the only one I won't let her touch! I found out now she has everything I want. That's what unforgivable! A family to go home to, a big house, a dog, a huge car, everyone in the neighbor love her and envy her. She literally has happiness at the palm of her hand!" 

"Ranfa..." 

"Shion is my only one piece of happiness and she's tricking him!" 

"You don't know if she is tricking him! Maybe she is helping him behind the scenes-" 

"I know these people in fancy suits and dresses the most...they appear all proper and harmless but they are the biggest pervert behind closed doors. These people use the pretense of helping you to trick you into being in their bed. I've opened my legs countless times for these type of men and women alike!" 

Ryoga was as speechless as Mikoshiba in the security cam. He didn't know Ranfa had advantage taken of.

"What are you planning to do?" 

Ranfa smirked at Mikoshiba, "What do you think hurts a high standing woman and humiliates them the most?" 

Hearing her say that, Mikoshiba shook his head as a cold chill ran down his spine. "You've got to be shitting me...don't you use Michiyo's voice and say such fucking disgusting thing! I don't want to hear it!" 

"Fuck off, Mikoshiba! Maybe you should stop holding onto a dead person and let her go already! She already said good bye to you so why don't you and everyone else let her go already?! She probably saw death as the only way out from dealing with you so she abandoned you when she has the chance!"  

"SHE DID NOT ABANDON ME!"  

Ryoga winced as he watched the two fight. He didn't blame Mikoshiba for lashing out at Ranfa but at the same time he thought Ranfa had to be stopped. It didn't take a genius to work out what Ranfa was planning. How cruel... was this the helpless girl Machiko chose to willingly help?

In the video clip, Ryoga saw Ranfa shove Mikoshiba's chain into his mouth with her bare hand! Why was she acting like her bare hand was a weapon? She could have grabbed blunt objects like the vase on the tea table or the picture frames.

"What the..." Ryoga could not believe it. Mikoshiba's phantoms appeared within the room! The neon lights, the screens and monitors, and even the digitalized shiba inu puppy. 

Mikoshiba pushed Ranfa away. She fell back and went over the sofa, hitting the tea table. 

"You...you had powers like Michiyo?" If Michiyo was like a lock to keep all the Trap Reaction within herself then Ranfa was the key to set them all free.

"Why are you not rusting?"

Ryoga watched on and he watched Ranfa strangle Mikoshiba with his own chain. Somehow, a reaction started and Mikoshiba's eyes looked like he was in some sort of trance. Ryoga watched Mikoshiba fall down and Ranfa escaped.

"What is going on???" Ryoga asked. 

Ryoga heard a bag of snacks fall to the ground. Machiko heard it all just now...

Within Mikoshiba's mind, he was stuck in a loop where he could not escape. He had to escape! He had to escape! 

"Shit! Shit!" When he turned around, the scene kept replaying itself. Michiyo telling Mikoshiba her last words before dying. 

He grasped his own hair, breathing quickening at a scary rate. "This is the one thing I never want to see...!" He fell onto his knees, "I don't want to see Michiyo die in front of me! No, no, no! NO!!!!"

Chapter Text

Ranfa and Shion did not return and God only knew where they went. Did they run away together? Machiko was told by Hancho not to go anywhere and to take care of the still passed out Mikoshiba, who was put into a coma of sorts by Ranfa. Machiko could not forget what she had overheard when Ryoga was listening to the security cam of what happened. Machiko did not know what to believe anymore. Did Ranfa really kill Sakira? Machiko could not understand why and she's not sure how to feel about it Ranfa being the culprit. Machiko wanted to find Ranfa right away and interrogate her but Hancho said they should find proof that went beyond all reasonable doubts first; if they were able to prove Ranfa and Sakira were at the same place at the same time then Ranfa will no doubt be the culprit. 

Machiko entered the prisoner's bedroom with a small bucket of clean water and she sat by Mikoshiba's bedside. She wrung the towel semi dry and then she cleaned Mikoshiba's face from his sweat with a clean towel.

"Tell me what to do, you dumb brat. What am I going to do if Ranfa really killed my baby sister?" She couldn't believe she's asking Mikoshiba for answers. She was desperate for an answer because she did not know what to believe. It'd be great if the suspicions pointing towards Ranfa were just a mistake but what if it wasn't? "Dumb brat, wake up. Use your high IQ and give me an answer...anyone...Michi..." Machiko grabbed Mikoshiba's hand with both of her hands, "Michi, if you are still here, please protect this brat. I don't want Ranfa to make another victim."

Mikoshiba could not escape. Every left turn he took, she was dying. Every right turn he took, she kept dying in 15 year old Mikoshiba's arms. He could run in so many different directions with all of his might until his legs give out but there's no escape from the inevitable. He grew up physically but his heart was still the 15 year old him; he could not get over Michiyo's death. He never did. Each passing year was painful for him because he felt he was leaving Michiyo further and further into his past. He wanted her to be in his present and future. He's scared of growing old because he feared one day he will forget about her. He's scared of opening his heart again because he didn't want to fall in love with anyone other than her. "I don't want to see you die in front of me...!" Mikoshiba fell to his knees. He blocked his ears but he could not block how the 15 year old him cry out loud when she died in his arms. "Michiyo...!" He's scared of seeing her but at the same time he was scared of not seeing her; he was stuck in a loop in real time, a loop where he wanted to keep remembering her but at the same time he's scared of being reminded of her death. He knew he should move on from her. He knew it was unhealthy to keep hold of a dead person for so long but he couldn't help himself.

How will he escape this world? Will he be stuck here forever? He fell to the side and he lied there in stillness. The scene of Michiyo dying again and again kept replaying in front of him. He stopped caring entirely. He closed his eyes, hoping to sleep this off and maybe something will set him free from this pain. Slowly, little by little, marks of Metal Erosion began to painfully erode away at the cells in his body and replace them with metal cells. It was painful but Mikoshiba didn't care anymore. In this world, he was 15 years old, the age where he lost her, the age where he felt his mindset was forever stuck on, the age where he could not move on from.

Ranfa forced him into this weird world. Was she even aware of it? Now that he look back, she didn't look like she was aware of it. In fact, she looked confused when he did not 'rust'. 

'Ranfa isn't aware of her own power...' But did any of that matter right now? It wasn't important anymore. None of it mattered anymore.

'If she did kill the gorilla's sister, then that means her power works the same way as Michiyo's. Her powers doesn't affect those holding Phantometal.' Again, why did any of that matter right now? 

A soft vibration could be felt in his pocket. Mikoshiba slipped his hand into his pocket and he took out Michiyo's smartphone. It had lost the function to communicate. So why? 

"...?" He turned the phone on and a video was waiting for him to play. He pressed the play button.

"What are you doing, Flowers for brain?"

"Machi and I are making cookies~."

"So why is it only you in the kitchen?" 

"Hancho carried her away."

"That's why you're dipping your dirty fingers into the raw cookie dough? Stop eating so much of it, it's not good for you." 

"Hey, my finger is not dirty! Want some?"

"Yeah I do. Don't tell the gorilla though. I don't want her going apeshit on me. I swear that woman will use any excuse to chimp out- why are you making that face?" 

"Machi's behind you." 

"Huh-?" 

"...?" Mikoshiba wondered why of all video this was played. He pocket the phone again and he closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about anything. He didn't-

A soft vibration could be felt again. 

"Again...?" He took the phone out again. He was sure he moved out of the photo roll before he put the phone on standby. Why did it act as if he was last looking at a video? He pressed play on the video.

"Go all the way over there, Michiyo." 

"You're bad at throwing, Shibaken. I'll end up dropping it because of you." 

"You're not going to drop it because your mouth is so big that it will go in in one swoop. Now go!" 

"You're so mean to me?!" 

"Heh..." Mikoshiba remember that time. He was bored and he told her he will feed her a chocolate block but he told her to stand against the wall and he will throw it into her mouth. If he recall, he DID get it into her mouth on the first go. 

Another soft vibration from the phone. After that, countless videos they had taken were waiting for him to press play so he could rewatch the memories again. Was this Michiyo's way of telling him something? 

"Are you telling me not to give up?" 

He felt the phone vibrate once as if it was responding to him.

"I hate the idea of living without you." 

Again the phone vibrated.

"Give me a break...even I have times where I want to give up." 

The phone vibrated again and again...and again. Mikoshiba did not move because he didn't see the point of struggling on. He might as well give up and let Metal Erosion take him. 

Soft footsteps could be heard. Someone had entered his Trap Reaction. Seeing Mikoshiba was ruined to such a state, her heart was broken seeing him like this. She shook her head as tears fell; what happened? How did he become like this? She could not be in the same world as him so she could not see what went on there. She sat on her knees in front of him. The way she hugged him was as if she was shielding him from all the things hurting him with her small body.

"Kenta..." She said his name because just like how he never forgot about her, she never forgot about him either.

Hearing his name, Mikoshiba started to tear up. He reached for her hand and he held it tightly. "Michiyo..." 

The Metal Erosion growing on his body came to an immediate halt.

Michiyo moved back a little to let him sit up because she felt him move. He looked at her properly, his hand was still holding hers. 

"It's been a long time~." Michiyo was happy to see him.

"Six years." 

Michiyo smiled at him, "You've never forgot about me."

"Are you fucking stupid- who the hell would forget you?" Mikoshiba was crying but he didn't care. He stopped holding her hand but she insisted on holding his hand. Mikoshiba didn't want her to get rid of the Metal Erosion. He had enough. "There hasn't been a fucking moment where I forgot about you. There are traces of you no matter where I go and what I do. I know you want me to be happy, but I'm not happy. I haven't been happy ever since you're gone. Sometimes I ask myself why don't I just follow you?"

"Kenta..." Hearing him say that was wrong. It's not right at all. Michiyo didn't want him to be like this. She didn't say anything to warn him and she crashed into him as she embraced him tightly. "Idiot! Don't say you will follow me, you idiot!" 

"Hah...?" Tears were falling silently now. "You're one to talk...aren't you the one who died at 15?!" 

"I did! But I would die for you if it means you can have all the happiness in the world!" 

"...but you became my world." Mikoshiba ran his hand through her hair, pressing the back of her head closer to him. "I can't stand a world without you in it, Michiyo. Why won't you let me go with you?" 

"Because I know this isn't how you want see me. I know one day when we see each other again, you will have lots of amazing stories to tell me. I know you will tell me what I have missed, and I know I will be envious of you once you finish that I will go 'Wow! Kenta lived a good life!'." 

"Michiyo..." 

Michiyo stood up and wiped her tears away. She gave her face a light slap as if to tell herself 'Get it together!' "I will always be watching over you. When you're in trouble again, I will save you. I will wait for you on the other side." She held her hand out to him, "And when it's truly time for us to meet again, I want to hear all about it. Until then, will you live a little longer and live in the world where I lived and loved you?" 

Mikoshiba remembered something; when they first met, he held his hand out to her, didn't he? She looked like she had given up on standing up but he told her to stand up anyway. 

"How embarrassing..." He couldn't believe he needed her to do the same thing for him. He felt a little embarrassed. When he took her by the hand and stand up, Michiyo watched his appearance change. Mikoshiba was no longer 15. Standing before Michiyo was 21 year old Mikoshiba, the him who went through 6 years without her.

"Wow...just look at you! I've always knew that bratty boy will one day grow up handsome. And I was right~." 

21 year old Mikoshiba bit back tears as he listened to her fangirl about how handsome he was.

"If I could be alive, I bet we would have made good looking children!" 

"Who the hell would have children with you?" He brushed strands of her hair behind her ear. He hugged her one last time because he had no idea when the next time he will see her be. "When we meet again, I'll tell you about it some more. I won't say anything like dying again." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah. If you find out I am wasting the life you gave me, you'll be pissed, right?" 

"Suffering my anger is worse than burning in hell so don't come to me so early. But if you find yourself with Metal Erosion again, I'll save you. I'll always save you, okay?"

Mikoshiba smiled knowing this girl will protect him even if she's not here anymore. The Michiyo standing in front of him right now... was it just an illusion he made? When she died in his hold, did part of her power sit dormant within his Phantometal? Either way, she's protecting him from Metal Erosion because she's watching over the person who made her the happiest.

"Michiyo?" 

"Hm?" 

"Do you miss me?" 

"Hm, I miss you. Every single day, I miss you."

"I see..." Mikoshiba looked down and he could see he was fading away. With her getting rid of his Metal Erosion, it was time for him to go. "Michiyo," 

"Yes?" 

"I'm sorry for turning you into my trauma."

Michiyo shook her head and she stood on the tip of her toes so she could kiss him on the cheek, "No hard feelings~." She snuggled close to him, wanting to be held for as long as possible. "When we meet again, let's talk so much you'll grow tired of me." 

"Just don't regret it when that happens, Flowers for brain." He tapped her forehead before he let go of her. It was time to go. "...I'm off." 

"I'll walk you to the edge."

It's not good bye. They both know they will definitely meet again. Their next meeting will not be in the world of the living.

"Michiyo?" He was confused why she suddenly paused. 

"This is as far as I can go."

He sighed, "I want to take you with me." 

"When we meet again, I'll take you everywhere with me. Once you're back, don't think about me so much. Live freely, eat well, grow up some more. Be angry, be happy, cry about it even. Everything you do is part of growing up." 

"Right..." He was about to walk on without her but then Michiyo suddenly grabbed his right hand with both of her hands. "Michiyo?" 

"Ah this is no good..." 

"What?" 

"I don't want you to completely stop thinking about me. Maybe from time to time? Every once in a while? Maybe once a year near the anniversary of my death?"

Mikoshiba laughed at her indecisiveness that ruined the moment. "Make up your fucking mind, will you?!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mikoshiba opened his eyes to hear Machiko crying. 

"Stop crying, gorilla. I'd rather you chimp out than fucking crying. You're noisy so be quiet." 

Machiko gasped and she looked at him. Mikoshiba was no longer covered in Metal Erosion marks. He looked normal and he looked like he had a much clearer mind. 

"You fucking brat..." Machiko couldn't believe he's awake! "Hold on, I'll get Hancho." 

Once Machiko was out of the room, Mikoshiba sat up. He was expecting his right hand to press against the mattress but something pricked his palm. He removed the sheets and he gently lift his right hand to see there was a crystal made in the shape of a forget me not flower, the same flower Mikoshiba picked for her at the hospital.

He didn't say anything and he put the crystal on the desk next to his laptop. 

The door opened again and this time it was Hancho. "You okay, brat?" 

"Ah. I made it." 

"Good, you have a job to do." Hancho threw Mikoshiba Sakira's smartphone. "Open it."

"Give me a few minutes." 

Hancho noticed the forget me not crystal, "Where did that come from?" 

"Flowers for brain gave it to me." 

"...I see." 

Chapter Text

Shion woke up with a terrible headache. He felt as if he was knocked out by something. What happened to him anyway? He couldn't remember sleeping with the lawyer because if he did sleep with her then he will have memories of it. "I didn't end up in bed with her..." He said as he sat up from the bed he was on. "Did Ranfa-chan put the sheets over me?" He looked around him and he saw he was in an abandoned hospital. The hospital was newly abandoned because the electricity were still working as well as the water from the tap. The fact the beds were a little clean proved this used to be an operational hospital but it had to be abandoned due to reasons Shion did not really care for. He got out of the bed and he began to wander around the empty wards. "I hate hospitals." He hated places like hospitals because it couldn't fix his skin problem and because it reminded him of those horror games that took place in a hospital. He only liked the hospital when there's sexy nurses and doctors involved in a porn-like scenario. He wondered how could the place that's supposed to save you could end up a good idea in a horror game setting. "At the very least, Ranfa-chan could be greeting me in the sexiest nurse outfit they have here. This is just scary." 

"Kaida-san, you're awake. Are you well?" Shion's face did not show it but he was spooked out by the homeless man who suddenly called out to him from behind. "Oh, sorry. It's just I heard your footsteps and I wasn't sure if it was you or some random teenager who thinks venturing in an abandoned hospital is a good idea. Do you want an energy bar?" 

"No thanks. I'd rather have a cigarette." 

"I don't smoke but Ranfa-chan smokes." 

"She is here?" Shion was a little glad someone he knew was here. 

"Yeah, she's here. I don't think you should go to her though." 

"I'll decide for myself if I want to go near Ranfa-chan or not, thank you very much." 

The homeless man followed Shion. Shion wasn't really that interested in striking conversations with the homeless man but he had some curious questions to ask of him. "Do you live here?" 

"Many of us live here. Ranfa-chan lives here too when she's not being taken care of by her customers." 

Shion was not so innocent to not know what 'customers' consisted of. 

"It's easier for young pretty girls like Ranfa-chan to be taken care of by a willing man. Honestly, I'd rather she's taken care of forever so she can be off the streets for good." The homeless man looked down from the window and he sighed heavily, "I wish she wouldn't need to resort to such things." 

Shion looked down from the same window too. He could see the hospital's entrance, Ranfa sitting on top of a table enjoying a cigarette, and watching the van shake up and down. Again, Shion was not that innocent to not know what was going on. He rushed to get out of the building, leaving the homeless man watching with sadness in his eyes. He had no part in what was going on down there but he felt he had committed a crime too because he was complacent with what's going on and the fact he will not report this to the police made him just as bad as those who were participating in this. 

Finally making it outside, Shion called out to Ranfa. "Ranfa-chan..." 

"You're awake. Do you want a cigarette?" 

"Ranfa-chan, are you sure you should be doing this?" 

Ranfa looked at Shion and then she ignored him. The face she's making right now looked like a normal reaction a person would have if they're bored out of their mind watching some boring 25 minute drama that's not interesting at all.

Shion walked in front of her field of view with an unhappy expression. His hands on either side of the table she's sat on before he pointed at the van with his right hand, "Do you really think doing what you are doing is a good idea? Should you be doing this?" 

"Yes." Ranfa said without hesitation. The lack of hesitation honestly surprised Shion. 

"Shion...Shion, help..." A feeble and quiet voice, hoarse from the constant scream for help could barely be heard. Shion heard the plea for help but he did not help the woman being abused inside the van. He did his best to ignore the sex heavy panting from the men inside the van; he's not a hero. He's not going to stop all these beasts driven from their vile act and put himself at risk. If being in prison made him learn anything it's how one should look out only for themselves.

"Were you threatened to do this?" Shion asked, wanting to know exactly where her mind was in order to think up something like this. "Knocking me out and then kidnapping her to do this..." 

"I asked them to help me. They don't have much but a van. They're kind people to me despite what they're doing right now." 

"Ranfa-chan, why would you think of something like this? I know you don't like her but you didn't need to go too far-" 

"I went too far? Me?" Ranfa looked at Shion as if she was surprised he would even think it's shocking she would think of something like getting a bunch of homeless men and rape the lawyer. "How about the fact she took advantage of you throughout the years, Shion?" 

Shion understood why Ranfa arranged all this. "Ranfa-chan, you don't understand. This isn't the best option but it's still one of the best ones for me to opt for." 

"That's a lie and you know it, Shion. How many years have you been sleeping with her under the pretense she could re-open your case for parole or an appeal? She knew you don't have money so she takes every bit of your dignity with those nightly rendezvous instead. You don't mind losing your dignity to this dirty bitch, but I do." Ranfa hated people like this lawyer with a burning passion. "These people think they can get away with it just because they're slightly more educated in their field. They know they can get away with taking your dignity without a care in the world." 

"And how does getting her raped by your friends help me get said dignity back?" Shion knew there was a possibility it will be all for nothing but he'd rather try something than doing nothing. "I don't have Paradox Live as means of escaping anymore, Ranfa-chan, I had to try something if it means I can have a future with you. I didn't sleep with her because I like her. I slept with her for the chance to have something with you." He held her hand, hoping to salvage what's left of her kindness. He liked her. He liked her enough he could ignore the wrong doing happening in front of him because he wanted to tell himself she's justified herself in her actions. 

"I know that!" Ranfa jumped off the table and she walked over to him and she grabbed his arms, "That's why I had to do this because I know you won't do anything about her!" She shoved a smartphone that did not belong to her right against his chest. Shion grabbed the smartphone. He recognized it as the woman's smartphone. "I am not doing this just because she is just sleeping with you! It's the fact she has everything but she still wants more that I can't stand her! She is dirtier than a prostitute!" Ranfa's anger was all over the place as she continued to share her logic and reasoning to him, "A prostitute would spread her legs for money- what the hell is she doing it for?! She has a perfect life! She lives in a nice house, a husband who loves her, and children as proof of her love with her husband! Yet, she still finds the audacity to sleep with you?! Not on my fucking watch she is not! Since she wants to be such a dirty bitch, I just help her get dirtier. I did nothing wrong!" 

Shion shouldn't but he held her close to him. He hugged her to him and she stroked the back of her head in a warm and tender way. 

Ranfa started to tear up and she cried against him. The anger she had for the woman was leaving her and it's leaving behind a sad and lonely young woman before him. 

"Ranfa-chan..."

"She has everything. I don't have anything, Shion. What if she push you to the point you don't want to live anymore? I had friends driven to their end because of people like her who will use us up until our worth is used up. It's almost like that time I had a customer who would have taken care of me...but..." 

"But what?" He asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"I grew up. He lost interest because I was no longer a child. When you're at the very bottom of the chain, you have nothing if you don't protect yourself. If you're not going to protect yourself properly, Shion, I'll be the one to protect you. Even if the world turns against me, I'll protect you." 

It was all for him. She was willing to hurt another woman if it meant protecting him. Shion couldn't even call her a horrible person because he knew for a fact Ranfa's cruelty was because of him. He's the last person to criticize her in any way because it was for herself and for him. "Ranfa-chan, will you stop for my sake? I'm really fine. Really." And it's because she did what she did for him, he knew he had to be the one to stop her. 

"Are you really fine?" Ranfa asked. "You're not going to end up drugged up and suicidal?" 

He wondered if that's what happened to the friend she mentioned. "I'm not going anywhere. I lived this far and even end up in prison. Struggling to live a normal life is normal for me." He put his left hand over her right hand when he lift her hand up a little, "Now that I know you want a future with me too, I am definitely not dying any time soon."

"Shion..." 

"I don't have anything to give you, Ranfa-chan. I don't even have a ring to put on your finger. Even so, do you still want to be with me?" He had nothing. All he had was his life. If he was a woman, he probably wouldn't choose a man like himself. There's no future with someone like him. 

"I don't have anything either. I never had anything...are you okay with me too?"

In a world full of nothing but struggle to strive for another tomorrow, they found one another. Many people will object to them being together but they still wanted to be together.

"Ranfa-chan, let her go. Please. You don't need to do this for me. Think of it as me not wanting you to dirty your hands. Please." 

Seeing him beg her like this, she sighed. "Fine. I'll let her go. Only because you told me to." 

Shion smiled and he patted her head, "That's a good girl." He was happy to know she liked him enough to go so far for him but he didn't need her to do this for him. Truth was, he wouldn't be happy if she sought revenge because of him. He's not kind or anything. He just didn't think she should do such thing for his sake because he didn't feel he was worth it. 

...

The lawyer was promised she will be dropped off near her home. She did not live at the pier though. 

Ranfa kicked the 40 year old woman out of the van. The woman wasn't even dressed. Ranfa stepped out of the van too. 

The homeless men in the van asked again if Ranfa needed a lift to go back. "I'll walk back by myself. I want time to myself. Tell Shion to give me time. Don't let him leave the hospital." The men drove off. Ranfa looked down at the woman with a cold look, "Well? What are you waiting for? Go and die by drowning."

"S-Shion said I am allowed to go home!" 

"That's funny because I never said you can go home alive. What? Besides, he told me to stop the others from raping you. He never told me to let you go home alive" She threw the woman her phone back. The woman scrambled for her phone and she was horrified to see photos of herself enjoying the many nights with Shion were uploaded to her social media...her friends and family all saw the photos and she had more than 40 notifications from her husband alone. "Besides, even if you go home, you would have nothing anyway." 

"T-these photos...!" The woman liked Shion a lot to the point she always took photos of themselves after they had their happy hours. These photos were kept a secret in her photo gallery. When did Ranfa use her phone to upload these daring photos to her social media?! "I-I really would have helped Shion...! If you have given me time, I would have-" 

"You would have helped him? It's too late for that, isn't it? You had all the time to help him before he met me but you chose to play around. I bet his case isn't even being seen." 

"I was going to help him!" 

"Well you are relieved from your 'work'. Shion and I will find a way to live a normal life. You should just fuck off and die." 

"Ah...ahh..." The woman was scared to die though. She looked down at the water at the very bottom of the pier. She couldn't see the bottom because of the darkness and the lack of a functioning light. She liked the sea and the sound of it as it hit the shore...why now of all times did she feel fear of the sea? 

"Just hurry up and die already. Do you need help?" 

The 40 year old woman felt Ranfa's bare hand on the back of her neck. 

"...?!" The woman felt a metallic cold touch. She was rusting from the back of her neck!

"You should have helped Shion before he came to meet me. Your biggest mistake is touching him when he's with me." Once Ranfa was certain the woman was dead, she pushed the woman into the water. She watched the woman sink into the bottom of the sea as if to make sure she won't swim back out again to safety. She didn't care about getting caught because she knew the security cameras here did not work. She also knew the area and the homeless people well and she knew no one will ever rat her out to the police. "Don't ever touch what is mine." 

Ranfa never had the intention of letting the woman go even if Shion begged her to let the woman go home. Ranfa believed if she let the woman go home, the woman will seek revenge against her. Ranfa believed killing the 40 year old woman was a way to protect herself; those who felt they had nothing to lose will put their all into vengeance. After Ranfa destroyed the woman's personal life, there was no way the woman will forget let alone forgive Ranfa. Ranfa needed to protect herself and she's not that stupid to let someone with bones to pick with her to live.

Ranfa liked walking in the dark. She never felt unsafe from walking on her own from the very moment she realized she had the ability to defend herself. She always told herself that people wouldn't need to die if they didn't try to wrong her. The reason why people died, it's because they're trying to do something stupid against her. She walked up a pedestrian bridge because she knew she was being followed. The reason why she told the homeless men to leave without her was because she knew they were being tailed. Ranfa stopped at the end of the pedestrian bridge where she could walk down the set of stairs and end up on the other side of the road.

"You're heavily pregnant. Shouldn't you be in a hospital giving birth?" Ranfa was honestly shocked. Of all people being here, why did it had to be Machiko being here?

Machiko was not alone. Hokusai was with Machiko. He came because he was worried about Machiko. Originally, Machiko planned to come alone but there's no way Hokusai will let a pregnant woman venture on something dangerous alone so he came along. 

"Because Shion and you are missing. Yohei and Saimon was worried about you when you did not turn up for work." 

Ranfa liked working at Bar 4/7. She would have liked to continue working there if not for all that's happened. "I can't go back there. Working in the bar doesn't suit me." 

"It doesn't suit you or is there a reason why you're not going back there? Is it because you want to avoid people you know?"

"You're asking so much questions, Machiko." 

"I wouldn't have to ask them if you're not the one making me raise them." 

Ranfa sighed and she leaned against the railing. "Hancho would want you home right now." 

"Hancho won't be going home until later. He's looking for Shion. Why are you looking shocked about that? Shion is a prisoner after all, it's a given a prison guard will be looking for him. What were are you planning to do, Ranfa? And to take Shion with you too..."

"Because he doesn't have Paradox Live anymore. He can't leave prison. No one will help him get parole or an appeal. So we'll run away together. Live somewhere no one knows about us." 

"Ranfa, have you noticed it at all? Even once? You're not looking at me in the eyes." Machiko said to her. 

Ranfa usually feel disconnected with others. She could look people in the eye and lie as if she's telling the truth. But because she cared for Machiko, she genuinely felt guilty about what she had done to Machiko. She couldn't look Machiko in the eye because if she looked at Machiko, she will feel the weight of her own guilt.

"Machiko-"

"Ranfa, why did you kill Saki?" Hokusai asked the one question that's on Machiko's mind. When he saw Machiko aiming to confront Ranfa, Hokusai felt it was too dangerous for her to confront Ranfa alone. Machiko believed Ranfa will not hurt her but Hokusai did not believe it so he had flagged down a taxi earlier and then they tailed behind Ranfa when they saw her by chance when the van was on the way to the pier. Hokusai and Machiko couldn't hear the conversation because they were too far away but they saw Ranfa finish off the 40 year old lawyer. Hokusai wanted to take Machiko home but after seeing what Ranfa could do, Machiko HAD to confront her.

"I didn't." Ranfa lied to Hokusai. "I didn't even know who Saki was until Machiko showed me her picture at the bar." 

"But you did meet Saki before you returned to the bar. And it's because you met her, you killed her." Machiko felt like crying just thinking about how Sakira was in pain and then end up dying all on her own. She could only imagine how confused, scared, and lonely Sakira felt at that very moment. "You killed Saki. Your touches can cause people to erode and rust like metal." 

Ranfa touched her glove covered hands and she hid them behind her back. She always felt self conscious about her own hands because ever since she found out what she could do with them, she feared touching others. Even now, she had no idea why her touches did not affect Shion badly. 

Machiko continued, "Saki's cause of death is metal erosion-" 

"Even if her death is metal erosion, it doesn't mean I caused it. She could have contracted it elsewhere. It doesn't mean it's from me." Even now, Ranfa was still denying it. 

The denial was enraging Machiko. How did it get to this point? Machiko began to wonder where everything went wrong. "Ranfa!"

"Why are you asking me so much questions at once, Machiko?! Even if you know the answer, what do you want to do to me in the end?! Call the cops on me?! Get me imprisoned and then I'll end up in a lab where I am probed for scientific research?!"

"I want to know the truth!" Machiko was now crying. "I need to know why my little sister died in such a way!" Machiko didn't want to believe Ranfa was the killer but after what she heard from the camera back at the GokuLuck home, she had every reason to question Ranfa. "And I do have evidence you met Saki before you returned to the bar!" 

Ranfa watched Machiko take out Sakira's phone. Machiko pressed for the email left unsent and sitting in the draft box. "Onee-chan, guess what? I saw a girl who look a lot like Michi. I want to invite her to the bar, can I do that? I know Michi's death hurt you. Maybe seeing this girl will make you happy. Let me invite her to the bar. I hope you will be able to be friends with her." Machiko was reading out the email out loud to Ranfa because she wanted to see Ranfa's reaction. 

Ranfa looked visibly distraught. She killed Sakira because she was scared Sakira saw what she did to her ex acquaintance. She was scared Sakira would use her secret to blackmail her. Ranfa had been blackmailed by people she trust and in the end she had to kill those people. "I...I didn't..." She wanted to say she didn't mean to kill Sakira but she couldn't say it because she felt it will insult Machiko because even if she didn't mean to it did not take away the very fact she killed Sakira.

"Shibaken unlocked Saki's phone once it was retrieved from the scene. Ranfa, killing her wasn't your intention, right? Then why did you do it?" Machiko started to walk towards Ranfa. 

"Machi." Hokusai grabbed Machiko's hand. "Don't." 

"I have to, Hokusai." Machiko walked towards Ranfa. "Ranfa, talk to me. If you intended to kill Saki, you would have got rid of all evidence pointing to you. A person with common sense would get rid of a dead person's phone."

"What do you want me to say? There isn't anything left for me to say..." 

"What was going through your mind when you killed her?"

"Is that really important?" 

"It is!" Machiko shouted, "It is important because I want to understand why you would do that to Saki! Saki is such a kind girl! I want to know what made you kill such a kind person!"

"Kind...kind..." She hated that word when people use it to describe another person. How many times had she believed someone was kind just because someone she trust told her so? How many times did she open her heart to others because she thought they were kind? "The people who treat me nicely at first were all kind up until they're not. I've been disappointed so many times I've lost count. Rather than being hurt, I chose to protect myself." 

"So you killed Saki to protect yourself?!" 

"It's the world that is wrong!" Ranfa was crying as she tried to justfy her own actions. "She is stupid too! Why the hell did she go to such a dangerous place all by herself?! She was asking for trouble by being there!" Ranfa didn't mean it but she couldn't stop. She had to justify herself in order not to be wrong. It was all for the sake of protecting herself. 

"Just for that you decided to not help her... I'll admit she should know better than to follow strangers, but she didn't deserve to die, Ranfa! Do you not get it?! She didn't deserve to die scared, alone, and in pain like that! Were you mocking me when I nearly fainted from the news and had to be rushed to the morgue to find my baby sister dead?! Were you secretly glad because you thought you got away with it?!" 

"I wasn't glad at all!" Ranfa fell to her knees and she cried into her gloved hands. "Why did she have to be there?! If she hadn't been there, this wouldn't happen! Fuck! Why did she have to be there?!" 

"Ranfa..." Machiko was angry and hurt. Part of her hated Ranfa and her dangerous logic of justifying any wrongs she had done...but seeing her cry, it reminded her of Michiyo. Even now, Machiko wanted to believe Ranfa was never such a cruel person. Maybe Ranfa was right about how it's the world that was wrong. If she wasn't pushed to her wit's end, none of this would happen.

"Why did he have to come back and ruin my life?! Why am I in the wrong for killing him?! He hurt me so many times and I only got rid of his dick with my power, why am I the only one in the wrong?! What about how he took the money I earned through prostitution to save Granny?! How he drugged me and let men I don't even know touch my body?! He pushed me to kill him by coming back!!!!"

'Is she talking about the man who died at the scene...?' Machiko thought to herself. The man was more than just an ex acquaintance to Ranfa...he was her ex boyfriend, someone Ranfa trusted when she had nothing, someone she once felt safe with, and someone who left a scar in her heart that stopped her from trusting anyone else. 

Breathing heavily and tired of everything, Ranfa asked Machiko a question. "Why is my life so different from Michiyo's?" Seeing so many traces of the life Michiyo lived at GokuLuck's home, Ranfa saw how happy Michiyo was. Seeing how happy Michiyo was, Ranfa wondered why their lives were so different even though they looked the same and sound the same. Ranfa began to wonder why life favored Michiyo instead of her. 

Hokusai was the same as Machiko. Part of him hated Ranfa...but at the same time he felt bad for Ranfa. He didn't know how to answer Ranfa's question after hearing how hard her life was. The things Ranfa went through, no one should ever go through it but she went through it, lived through its horror, and was still standing here. 

However, Machiko answered right away. She's not about to let Ranfa gaslight her into agreeing with her. "Because you two are still different. You can look alike and even speak the same, but in the end both of you are your own person that includes the choices you make." Machiko felt bad for Ranfa but Machiko didn't believe it changed the fact Ranfa was still in the wrong. "You suffered, but it was still your own choice to kill Saki, Ranfa." Machiko made it in front of Ranfa. Machiko carefully sat on her knees. "Ranfa, let's stop making wrong choices."

"What should I have done, Machiko? What is the correct answer?" 

"You should have come to me and everyone! Why didn't you tell us about that man?!" If only Ranfa didn't think her choice was the better choice. She made so many new friends so why couldn't she rely on them? Machiko couldn't understand.

"Because he ruined my life and he can do the same to others! I wanted to protect my new life...I didn't want any of you to know about my past. I just wanted you all to know me as this girl who wanders into the night. I don't want you or everyone to know how dirty my past is..." Ranfa couldn't trust others to protect herself because she had been hurt so many times she couldn't connect with others anymore.

"I would never think you're dirty." 

Ranfa looked at Machiko face to see Machiko's sad but tender smile. 

"I would have protected you like I would have protected Michi." 

It was this simple this whole time? Ranfa didn't need to kill anyone?

Machiko held her hand out to Ranfa. She wanted to take Ranfa back and discuss with Hancho what to do with her. If possible, Machiko didn't want to get the police or the law involved because Ranfa's power being disclosed would put her at risk of being in the hands of people wanting to take advantage of her. 

Slowly, Ranfa reached for Machiko's hand- 

"Freeze!" Before Ranfa and Machiko knew it, both sides of the pedestrian bridge were blocked off by police. 

"Hokusai, we're here!" Reo called out to Hokusai as he got out of a police car with Satsuki.

"Everyone's here. Good." Before they ended up on the pedestrian bridge, Hokusai called Iori and sent his location to him. He didn't predict Zen's former colleagues would all gather here at once. 

Seeing so many police officers blocking off her means of escaping, Ranfa panicked. "You said you will help me and you decide to arrest me...?" Ranfa whispered.

"No! Hokusai, everyone, stop!" Machiko didn't want them to escalate things to go this far! She was this close to getting Ranfa to come with her and they're making things worse by making Ranfa panic! "Ranfa, I didn't- I didn't know they'd come!"

"Shut up! I won't trust you anymore, Machiko...you tricked me! You got me to confess everything and then feed me bullshit about how you would have protect me to make me drop my guard! It was all bullshit!" 

"Ranfa, no-" 

"Shut up!" Ranfa removed the glove from her right hand and she dragged Machiko to her by force. Ranfa no longer cared Machiko was pregnant because in her mind right now she was angry she trusted someone only to be betrayed yet again. 

"No!" Hokusai tried to come closer but Ranfa looked at with him with rage in her eyes.

"Don't come any closer! Come any closer to me and I'll touch her!"

Hokusai stopped his friends from getting too close, "Her bare touches can cause Metal Erosion." 

"What?!" Satsuki couldn't believe it! "You mean she's like Michiyo-chan?! She has special powers too?!"

"Stop! Machi is pregnant! Don't hurt her!" Reo shouted at Ranfa, "Don't do anything to her!" 

"Ranfa..."

Ranfa didn't hesitate to use Machiko as a human shield. At this point, she's already far gone. She's already full of sins, what's one more going to do to her? 

"Ya seriously using a pregnant woman as a human shield?! How low of a human being are you gonna be?! How can you look like Michiyo-chan so much but be so cruel?!" 

Ranfa laughed at Iori's words, "Isn't it because she was never pushed to the same extent as me?! Try having her live through my life and see how she can cute her way through it, you fucking idiot!" 

"Ranfa, stop..." Machiko begged Ranfa not because of fear of her own life but because she didn't want Ranfa to continue on this thorny road she's walking on.

"You're a liar, I won't believe you anymore. I trusted you, I was going to take your hand! I was stupid to ever believe I could believe you...!" 

Machiko could tell she was hurt. "It's not like that at all!" 

"Shut up! I won't listen to you anymore!"

"Sir, I have a clear path to intercept the culprit." One of the officers said to the radio to his boss. There was an officer who took a risk and he's on the side of the pedestrian bridge. All he had to do was jump over the railing without falling, catch Ranfa and separate her from Machiko. 

"Don't! She has a hostage! Zen said not to do anything so don't!" 

The rookie officer did not understand the issue. Ranfa was not holding a knife or a gun. What's there to hesitate for? The rookie officer was a hotblooded individual and he didn't believe he needed to hold back on someone who would stoop so low to use a pregnant woman as a human shield. The officer jumped over the railing! 

"...?!" Machiko felt Ranfa push to the side where the stairs start going down. "Eh...?" Everything felt slow for Machiko. She saw the starry sky and then she saw Ranfa's cold eyes looking down on her. Machiko lost count how many times her body hit the hardness of each solid step before she landed on an officer who was too late to catch her. Machiko landed on top of the officer but she felt warm liquid trickle down from between her legs. "It hurts...!" The pain was so intense she couldn't describe it in words. Machiko touched her stomach as the pain became more and more intense. She couldn't hear the other Akanyatsura members call out to her because the pain became the focus and she felt very faint. 

Ranfa wrestled with the hotblooded officer. It wasn't even a fair wrestling match because Ranfa grabbed the man's face and she caused Metal Erosion, killing the officer in an instant. When she saw a truck delivering trash about to go through the pedestrian bridge from below. "I won't let anyone catch me." Ranfa jumped down the pedestrian bridge and she landed onto the many bags of trash. The truck driver was unknowingly taking her away from the scene of betrayal...

"I've done it again... Shion... Shion, what have I done...?"

Chapter Text

Shion did not bother to run away from Hancho when Hancho found him at the abandoned hospital. Why did he not bother to run away? Because running away from Hancho and then getting caught will become a living nightmare in the end because the inevitable will be pain and more pain. When Shion saw Mikoshiba and Ryoga were in the car, he knew Mikoshiba had a hand in finding him. 

"We need to talk about Ranfa." Mikoshiba said to Shion. 

Shion looked away. "I don't have anything to say." 

"Ranfa has powers just like Michi." 

"...?!"

"It's the kind of power that works only on people not holding Phantometal. But when it's used on us, it's different. I can now get my phantom to come out because of her." Mikoshiba started to explain to everyone in the car how Ranfa somehow unlocked his Phantometal's phantom. "It's through all that bullshit that I managed to see Flowers for brain again."

"Ranfa-chan never told me such thing..." Now that Shion think about it, Ranfa always had gloves on. Yet, when Ranfa and him hold hands or touch, nothing happened... Shion touched the nail ring he still wore out of habit. "Ranfa-chan..."

Hancho felt his phone vibrate. "Talk." 

The prisoners thought they will head back home but Hancho started to drive really fast and even run through red lights. 

"This route...the hospital?" Mikoshiba muttered. 

"Machiko is in ICU. She's giving birth and she's suffering from Metal Erosion." 

"...?!" Mikoshiba and Ryoga couldn't believe what they're hearing! For Machiko, someone who did not hold a Phantometal to suffer from Metal Erosion could only mean one thing.

"Ranfa...chan..." Shion did not know what to say. He covered his mouth with his hand. What happened when she promised him she will take the female lawyer back home? Did the woman even make it home safely? "What lead to this? Ranfa-chan..." He now wondered if Ranfa said she will sort everything out by herself had evil intentions behind it. Why did she lie to him? When did he become so unreliable to her? 

Iori was the one who called for Hancho to come. As much as he did not like Hancho, he still called Hancho because Machiko needed her husband right now. 

Once Hancho arrived, he told the nurse at the desk he's Machiko's husband and he wanted to be by her side. 

Hancho walked away from the prisoners. 

"Shibaken!" Reo lashed out at Mikoshiba but Ryoga got in the way. "Ranfa did this to Machi! Machi was bleeding all over the floor!"

"What am I supposed to fucking do about it?! Just because she looks like Flowers for brain it doesn't mean I have responsibilities over her!" 

"Satsuki, what happened?" Ryoga wanted to know how it came to this scenario. 

"Hokusai and Machi tailed after Ranfa. Zen-nii called the police, we've surrounded the pedestrian bridge. I don't know what happened but Ranfa used Machi as a human shield!"

"Ranfa-chan would never do that for no reason." Shion spoke out. 

"Hah?!" Reo didn't like how Shion was saying something in defense of Ranfa. "Ranfa pushed Machi down the stairs and then she killed the police officer trying to save Machi! She's a murderer!"

"Reo." Hokusai put his hand on Reo's shoulder. He looked at Shion, "Shion, Machi and I found out she killed Saki." 

Hearing that, Shion felt sad. He now came to the realization why she had been acting weird since they came back from the bar. He didn't know. He thought Ranfa was just tired and wanted to go somewhere else with him. He now realized the reason why she did such a cruel thing to the female lawyer was because Ranfa felt threatened by her and she had to do something about it. Ranfa's own actions had many consequences that she's finding hard to shoulder. She kept shouldering it in silence and not telling him a thing.

"I called Aniki. I didn't think the police would all come. When Ranfa saw the police, she panicked and used Machi as a shield. She got so angry at Machi and then she pushed Machi down the stairs. That's what happened."

"So you all cornered Ranfa-chan." 

"Corner her?! She killed Saki! She should be cornered and arrested for what she did!" Reo shouted at Shion, "Why are you defending her?!" 

Shion looked at Reo with a frown on his face, "Because the Ranfa-chan I know would never do these things." 

"Shion, before we confronted her about Saki, we saw her kill a woman. She pushed the woman into the sea after causing Metal Erosion on her." 

'So she killed the lawyer...' "Hokusai, what was Ranfa-chan's reaction when you confronted her about Saki-chan?" 

"...Ranfa was devastated. Crying. She's regretful about it." He's not going to lie about that. He saw how Ranfa was crying and regretting everything.

"Hokusai, she's only regretful because she's caught red handed! If she felt guilty about it, why did she not turn herself in?!"

Hokusai originally wanted to catch her and make her turn herself in... but after hearing her talk about how her power will put her in a position to be experimented on, Hokusai didn't have the heart to turn her in. He didn't know what Machiko was planning but maybe it could have been a better scenario than this. 

"I see..." Shion could see the picture now. Ranfa only felt emotions when she killed Sakira. Sakira was the one person she regret killing. "I need to find Ranfa-chan."

"Shion, what are you planning to do?" Ryoga didn't know what to think with all the information given all at once. Ranfa was definitely in the wrong, no doubt about it... but what was the correct answer to do this? "Do you have the answer to all this?" 

"I don't, Ryoga. I just know right now Ranfa-chan needs me. I want to protect her." 

"I see." Ryoga let Shion go. 

"Why?! After what she had done, why are you still willing to protect her?!" Reo shouted at him. "She's clearly in the wrong!" 

"I never said she isn't in the wrong. I just want to see her and see where I can help." 

"You can help her by getting her arrested when you find her." Reo was angry about this because at the very end, Machiko still tried to convince everyone to back off because she wanted to protect Ranfa. Reo was angry someone as kind as Machiko ended up in pain all because she wanted to protect Ranfa. 

"Once I see her, I'll try and see what I can do. If I am to do anything, I will do things my way." Shion walked out of the hospital and he took out a cigarette and put it to his mouth. He lit the cigarette and he walked away. "Where should I start?"

Machiko's situation was not looking good at all. Her skin was discolored in blotches of rust. The doctors were not equipped to deal with Metal Erosion, most of them had not seen something like this. 

Hancho held Machiko's hand. 

"Hancho...Hancho...Han...cho..." 

"I'm here. Can you not hear me?" Were the symptoms of Metal Erosion kicking in already? Had she lost her hearing and her eyesight? "She can't see me..." What should Hancho do? What could he do right now? "What would you do if you are here?" He wanted to ask the other him what to do. He didn't have the answer so did it mean the other him will have the answer? He's left to keep Machiko stable after Michiyo's death. He had to overcome the trauma of losing someone so precious with her. He stayed by her side, married her, and he overcame the sadness while holding her hand.

"The baby is here...!" The midwife cried out. 

Hancho looked at the midwife because he could not hear a single cry from the baby. What was going on? He saw the doctors surround the baby. The baby was born but Machiko was not away from the danger zone; the discoloration on her body did not come to a cease. The discoloration continued to grow and cover her body. 

"Sir, I'm sorry..." The midwife said to Hancho. 

Hancho felt devastated. Wrapped in a soft blanket was his and Machiko's baby. There's no cry from the baby. The baby was not moving. Hancho gently held the baby. He pressed his ear against the baby's chest. He closed his eyes, trying to search for a sign of a heartbeat. There's no heartbeat to be found. All he could hear was his own breathing, the doctors and nurses panicking as they try to help Machiko, and his own breathing. "Our baby..." Just like how they lost Michiyo, they wished for a miracle so desperately but that miracle never came. It never came for Michiyo and it's not coming for the baby he wanted to meet. 

"M-my baby...baby..."

Hancho wasn't sure if he should hold their dead baby to her but he wanted her to 'meet' their child. He gently rest the baby on her chest. Machiko turned her head and her chin touched the top of her baby's head. Machiko started to cry. Her hands shook and she held her baby close. "My child... I can't hear them cry..." 

Hancho sighed heavily and he shook his head. He failed to protect his wife. Didn't the other Inukai create him to deal with difficult situations? Why couldn't he fix them right now? He couldn't save Michiyo, he couldn't save his baby, and now he's about to lose his wife to Metal Erosion.

"Hancho..." Machiko wondered if she was dying. She wanted to hold her husband's hand. If she's going to pass, she wanted to pass in her husband's arms.

Suddenly, Hancho thought about what Mikoshiba said in the car. He rushed out of the ICU and he went to get Mikoshiba. "Mikoshiba." 

"What?" 

"Come with me." 

"Huh?"

Mikoshiba was taken into ICU. The doctors and nurses complained how Hancho was going in and out as he please. They complained it's already bad enough he forced his way in through the whole process and now he brought a new person in!

"Shut the fuck up and move out of the fucking way! I'm saving my wife!" 

"Sir, please remove yourself from-" 

Hancho grabbed the doctor and pulled him close, "If you stop me from saving Machiko, I'll fucking kill every one of you in this room!" He let go of the doctor again and he watched all the doctors and nurses scramble out. Hancho looked at Mikoshiba again.

Hancho always pictured it to be a happy scene where his baby will be born crying and then quiet down once they're in Machiko's arms. That happy scene will never come. 

Mikoshiba gasped as he looked at how bad the Metal Erosion was. He glanced at the baby on Machiko's chest. He didn't say anything because he knew the baby was no longer alive. Did the altercation with Ranfa cause the death? Mikoshiba understood why Hancho called him in here; even if they could not save the baby, they should at the very least save Machiko.

"Nngh...nngh..." Machiko was crying through the pain of Metal Erosion and loss of her child. Her cries and screams of grief practically echoed the halls of the hospital and haunted those who heard it. She was extremely exhausted but she still didn't stop crying. It wasn't just from the pain, if anything the pain was nothing compared to right now... losing Michiyo, unable to see Yuto, she lost Sakira, and now even her own baby was gone.

Mikoshiba wasn't sure if this will work or not. He licked his Phantometal and he put part of the long chain in Hancho's hand, "Hold it to her hands." 

"Will it save her?" 

"I don't know." Mikoshiba could only pray it will work. He didn't want anyone else to be gone. He was forced to get over the loss of Michiyo, and not having the kind Inukai irritated him. He never said it openly but he appreciated Sakira for playing video games with him over the course of these six years. He will never say it either but he appreciated Machiko for coming over and visiting Michiyo's grave. He never thanked her for always remembering Michiyo... if she died now, Michiyo will surely be sad in heaven.

Hancho held Mikoshiba's chain and he held Machiko's hand tightly with it. He closed his eyes and he pressed their hands against his forehead. He could only wish real hard for the miracle that did not come for two important people. 

"Come on, Flowers for brain...! Save her like you saved me...!" Mikoshiba was praying hard too. He felt teary when he saw the lifeless baby. It looked like it's just sleeping there peacefully. "Michiyo, the baby's gone. Don't let this woman be gone too."

Machiko found herself in a world she did not recognize at all. Did she die? Where did she end up? She looked up and there's a clear blue sky without a single cloud disturbing the blue with its own white. She looked down and she saw muddy water. She couldn't see her own feet because of how muddy it was and she couldn't even see her own feet. Aside from the path she was standing on, this place felt serene and it looked like the perfect place for one to meditate and heal their broken soul. Did she die to end up in heaven?

She started to cry. Surely if this was heaven, she should be able to see her dead baby or Sakira, right? Why did she end up here? She fell to her knees and she screamed into her hands. Her baby was gone! The grief was so heavy and it's crushing her soul. She felt like someone had taken a part of her and no matter how much she scream to give back her baby it will all fall to deaf ears.

"I want to die..." She would never ever wish to die but the pain of losing so many precious people in her life made her want to disappear. She didn't know how to face her husband because her husband had warned her not to do anything dangerous while pregnant and she didn't listen. She didn't know how to face her husband because he must hate her. The pain from Metal Erosion taking over her didn't bother her. Maybe she should let it kill her. It'd sort out so many problems right now.

"Please don't ever think that, Machi." 

Machiko felt a gentle and warm touch on her back. The touch was warm like the sun. And that voice... She knew it was not Ranfa. Machiko slowly looked away from her hands and she saw a sad and worried look of someone so familiar to her. 

Michiyo smiled, "I found you, Machi~." Holding her right hand was 15 year old Michiyo, who looked happy to see Machiko.

"Michi..." This place had to be heaven, right? Why else would Michiyo be here? "Michi...! Michi...!" Machiko cried as she hugged Michiyo. She cried hard because she missed Michiyo so much. Her death hit her hard; how could she claim she was Michiyo's strongest ally when she couldn't even protect her when she was dying? Machiko felt so useless after her death served as a reminder even Machiko was powerless. Sakira's death and now the death of her baby made Machiko feel even more powerless than ever. 

"It's been six years. I've missed you." 

Hearing Michiyo's voice and seeing that sweet and precious smile made Machiko cry even more. Machiko suddenly remember her conversation with Mikoshiba after he returned from Metal Erosion...

"You saw Michi...?" 

"I did. Flowers for brain look exactly the same as we last remember." He touched his long chain. "When she died in my arms, maybe part of her powers went into my Phantometal. I don't know if the Michiyo I saw is even her or an illusion her power created based on my memories." It was a very sad way of thinking and he's not sure which to believe. "I want to believe it was really her. When I told her I want to go to her, she grilled me on the spot." 

"...I believe that is Michi." 

Mikoshiba looked at Machiko to see she was angrily crying. "Why the hell are you crying?" 

"Because you said you wanted to die and go be with her. Don't ever say that again, you brat! You need to live so you are not wasting Michi's efforts!"

"Yeah... I'm not dying unless it's from an illness with no cure or old age." 

"Or maybe someone kill you." 

"Heh. I won't die. I need to tell her about my life when I see her again. I promise her a lot of stories." 

"What are you planning to do?" 

"Live. I'll figure something out. She is a very simple girl so she will be amazed by anything I do."  He started telling Machiko how he will start making tracks again. Before joining GokuLuck, he was making tracks and posting them on the internet anyway. He told her he will continue doing that, make his name so well known and see if he could achieve his freedom somehow. "She's not here anymore but I need to do some amazing shit so I can brag to her about it." 

Mikoshiba had a small and calm smile on his face. He's happy seeing Michiyo once again. Honestly, it made Machiko a little envious that he get to see her again.

Machiko felt bad for lecturing Mikoshiba because she was feeling the same way too. She wanted to stay here with her and keep her company.

"Machi, how did you end up like this? Here, let me help you."

Looking at how kind Michiyo was, Machiko was suddenly reminded of Ranfa. If Ranfa had someone protecting her, would she turn out like this? If Ranfa had someone like Machiko in her life, surrounded by people who will cherish her and dote on her, would she turn out so cold hearted and ruthless? 

"You know, Michi? Everyone misses you. The others can't go a day without thinking about you, we always visit your grave. We met this girl who looked and sounded exactly like you. Of course you two are very different. You were always so caring and sweet, naive to the world. This girl, Ranfa, was defensive, seemed withdrawn, and she hides a lot of her true self. I wanted to help her. I brought her to the others, we tried to get her on track... but now... I'm here." Machiko grabbed her hand and cried against Michiyo's shoulder. "Saki is gone..." She touched her stomach that's no longer huge from pregnancy, "My baby is gone... and now I am scared what to do." 

"You're not going back to Hancho?" 

Machiko shook her head, "I don't know. I'm scared of being gone from his life, but I am scared of facing him. He will surely hate me for losing our baby." 

"Hancho will never hate you." Michiyo smiled fondly at Machiko, "Machi hasn't changed. Still so kind to others and always thinking about others before yourself." 

"Michi is the same, no?" 

"I am?" 

"You are." 

"Strange, I never noticed~." 

Machiko laughed a little. How did Michiyo never notice she was so kind and caring of others to the point it worried Machiko and the adults? They're always worried someone terrible will take advantage of her!

"Because Machi is kind, Hancho will not hate you. And I am not letting you be gone from Hancho's life because I got you." 

"What can I do though, Michi? I've messed up so many things. He will not look at me the same again..."

"Please don't say that, Machi. None of it is your fault." 

Machiko didn't believe Michiyo. She believed it was all her fault and she caused all these terrible chain of events. All because she wanted to help Ranfa. "Michi, what should I have done? If abandoning Ranfa was the correct choice then this world is cruel."

"I don't know either." Michiyo answered her right away. "All I know is Hancho will be sad if you die. It's not just Hancho. Ryoga-chan, Shion, Shibaken too. Everyone will be sad if you died. I won't let you die, Machi. When I was dying, you tried to save me too. Let me save you."

It used to be Machiko the one to comfort Michiyo. How did it become the other way around? "I never wanted you to die. Even now, I still wish for days where you are still with us." 

Michiyo hugged Machiko because she felt Machiko needed this hug. "It will be okay, you'll see. Even if I am not here with you all, you will be okay. I lived and I was happy. I'm sure Hancho want more days with you too, Machi so I'll make sure you will go to him back safely." 

"Michi, what about you?" 

"I can only be here."

"Michi..." Machiko realized Metal Erosion was gone from her body.

Michiyo stood up and she held her hand out to Machiko, "Let's go back to everyone, Machi." 

Tearfully taking Michiyo's hand, Machiko got up with her help. When Machiko stood up, lotus flowers started to rise and bloom from the muddy water and greet them a beautiful bloom. "When did you grow up so much?" She asked Michiyo.

"Because I wanted to be more like Machi when I was still alive~."

"Michi..." Even after she expressed how weak and powerless she actually was, Michiyo still thought so highly of her. Machiko will have to live up to Michiyo's expectations. "You are definitely the Michi we all doted on." When she next wake up and see everyone, she will need to tell Mikoshiba the Michiyo they both saw was definitely more than just leftovers of her power.

Just like she did with Mikoshiba, Michiyo started to walk Machiko to the very edge of this world so she could go back. On the way there, the girls talked about a lot of things. Machiko had a lot to tell her because a lot had happened in these 6 years Michiyo was not here. 

"Machi, I think this Ranfa girl is lonely deep down. I think even she would want someone like you in her life."

"...I don't know how to help her anymore. She stopped trusting me and she did such a thing to me...I don't know if I could ever forgive her and look at her the same."

"Machi, why did you reach out to her in the first place? Were you planning to use her to replace me?"

"What? No! I will admit after seeing her face and hearing her voice, it made me reach out to her just like I did with you, but even I know better than to replace you with anyone! You cannot be replaced, Michi!"

Michiyo smiled, "It's because you truly wanted to reach out to her. I'm sure deep down she could feel it. Somewhere deep in her heart, she's crying and want someone to reach out to her." 

"I don't know if I can reach out to her again, Michi."

"You can do it, Machi. After all, you are my strongest ally, aren't you?" 

"...but can I really do it?"

"I think you can. You just need to believe I am rooting for you. I'm sure your baby and Saki believe in you too. You will be fine. You still have people in the world of living waiting for you. Don't keep them waiting, Machi." 

Machiko saw she was at the very edge of this illusive world. There's an invisible wall in front of them. When Machiko reached her hand out, her hand started to disappear but when she retracted her hand back, her hand was still there. Machiko looked at Michiyo, her eyes asking the younger girl if she really couldn't go on. 

Michiyo looked at her and she touched the wall but her hand could not go through the invisible wall. "You will need to go on without me, Machi." 

Machiko didn't want to leave without Michiyo. She's at the exit and she couldn't take Michiyo with her! That's so unfair! Machiko couldn't take the step forward. Her hand stayed holding Michiyo's, not wanting to let go because she knew once she let go of Michiyo's hand it will be a very long time until they reunite and could talk like this again.

"Machi, see the lotus flowers blooming from the muddy water?" Machiko noticed the beautiful flowers blooming from the impure water. "Even such a beautiful flower can overcome muddy water and come out beautiful. Kind of like how grass can grow through the cracks of concrete. You will be fine." Machiko smiled because she knew Michiyo was trying to encourage her.

Michiyo didn't want to let go either but she knew she couldn't keep Machiko here. "Machi, when you go back to your world, can you tell them a message for me?" 

"Of course." 

Michiyo wasn't sure if she will see the others but she still wanted to pass a message onto them. She had a lot to say but she will keep each message memorable so Machiko could remember it word for word.

"Can you tell Shibaken that I love him and I miss him?" 

"Geh." 

"Please, Machi~." 

"Fine. It's just having to tell him what you said is making me hurl." 

"Ahaha~."

Slowly, Michiyo let go of Machiko's hand. But Machiko held Michiyo's hand with a firm grasp. 

"Machi?" 

Machiko wiped away at her tears. She's looking more determined now. "It may be a bit before I see you again... Michi, if there is such thing as another world where you are alive, I'll protect you again."

"If there is such thing, that'd be nice~." Michiyo smiled as she gave Machiko one last hug. "Thank you for making me happy when I was alive. If there is such thing as an alternate world, please spoil me again."

Machiko nodded. She didn't want to let go but she had to. "I'll spoil you as much as you want." Letting the young girl go, Machiko turned herself around and she took a deep breath. She wanted to turn around and look at Michiyo one more time- 

"Don't look back, Machi. There are people waiting for you to return. Move forward and be happy."

She's not sure if she will be happy but she will take Michiyo's encouragement, walk on forward, and live.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slowly opening her eyes, Machiko saw Hancho was holding her right hand. Was that Mikoshiba's chain between their hold? 

"Hancho..." 

"...?!" Hancho couldn't believe she's awake! "Machiko..." 

"Why are you holding that brat's chain between our hands?" 

"...did Michiyo save you?" 

"She did." 

"Holy shit...it worked. It actually worked. Does Flowers for brain have a message for me?!"

"She does. She said she misses you and for some reason love your bratty ass." 

"She did not say it that way, fuck off!" 

Machiko smiled a little when Mikoshiba reacted like that. She looked down and she saw her child. Her child was completely silent, no sing of life at all. "Hancho?" 

"Yes?" 

"Michi has a message for you." 

"Tell me." 

"She said 'Take care of Machi and everyone, Hancho'." 

Hancho was quiet. He walked over to the window and he sighed heavily. Machiko knew it was best to leave him alone for a while. 

Holding her lifeless child, Machiko hugged the innocent life close to her. "Hello and good bye, my child."

Chapter Text

Ranfa was staying in the cheapest possible love hotel for the time being. Everything had become a mess that she no longer had control. She quickly shut the curtain because she had a feeling she was being followed. She couldn't trust a single person because she believed they're out to get her. Of course everyone was out to get her, she's not surprised. If she was a normal person, she will hate someone like her too. After all that she did, she couldn't be forgiven. She knew that. 

She laid in bed, curled up like a fetus as she hugged the pillow to her chest. She couldn't sleep because every time she closed her eyes, she will be haunted by dreams of her mistakes. How did it get to this point?

There's a knock on the door. Her blue eyes shot open; did someone successfully follow her here? With Machiko's connection with Akanyatsura, Ranfa was not surprised many people will be asked to hunt her down as a favor. She carefully approached the door, being careful not to let the person outside know she's here. She looked through the keyhole to see an unfamiliar face.

"Sakura Ranfa, I know you're in here. Let me in and let's negotiate about your future." 

How could a person like her have any more future? The only thing ahead of her was an inevitable bad ending. The good endings where the prince will rescue the princess and live happily ever after will never be for her. Ranfa opened the door for the man with long green hair. The man was wearing a lab coat and he barely shaved his facial hair. He also looked like he barely had any sleep. 

"It took me a long while to find you, Experiment 1314's 'key'." 

Ranfa closed the door after he was let in. She had no idea who this man was so she just let him talk. If he tried anything, Ranfa will instantly kill him. She removed her gloves just in case.

"It is a shame 1314 ended up dying. If she was alive and you two are given to me, my dream will be completed. Absolute shame."

"I don't even know what you are talking about." 

"Does the name Sen Michiyo ring a bell to you?" 

Ranfa's face remained calm and unchanged. She's not that dumb to let someone else get the best of her in a conversation. In the arts of negotiations, you will always have control as long as you remain calm and not show too much emotions. Despite having heard of Michiyo's name many times, she smiled and she lied naturally to this man in a lab coat, "Never heard of her." 

"I'll tell you then. Along with you, both of you were experimented on. One will become the 'lock' and the other to become the 'key'. You are the key to unlock 1314's power." 

'That explains where my power comes from and what my purpose was supposed to be.' Ranfa thought to herself. "If I am the key, how will me being with Michiyo will change a thing?" 

"Oh, it changes everything because 1314 had the ability to take in the Trap Reactions of Phantom Rappers. You, the key, has the power to release what she take in. Her cause of death is simply because she was 'broken'." 

Ranfa continued to look at him and he continued to talk with a smug look on his face. "Think about it, Ranfa-san, if you break a lock when you lost the key, that lock could never be used again." 

'Michiyo's cause of death is because I wasn't there.' Ranfa thought to herself. "What's the point in telling me how I could have saved her. Unless you are telling me I can bring back a dead person to life, I don't think telling me anything is going to do you any good." 

"That's because if you were with her, you could have kept the lock alive by 'locking' her again."

"Hmph, so you're saying I am a master key." 

"Indeed. Your 'Key' has the power to unlock everyone's fear. That was our intention with your power but somehow it became unstable that you cause Metal Erosion. Well, 1314 was unstable as a lock herself since she could cause Metal Erosion too if her emotions are unstable. You are both unstable without each other." A lock without the key to go with it was indeed useless, and a key without anything to for it to lock and open was just as useless. The girls should have been together but they were fated to go on their own path. Their path never crossed so they lived not knowing the existence of the other. "Well, even without the lock, I can still rule the world. That is if you will work together with me."

"And why would I want to do that? Your little pipe dream has fuck all to do with me." 

"Because I know you have nothing going on for you. Think about it, you have no income, you're being persecuted, you have nowhere to go but the street. Are you going to be on the street and live at the very bottom of the chain for the rest of your life? Ah, but I guess you are used to such a life." The man in the lab coat got up and he started to leave. "One more thing, Ranfa-san, I'm not the only one who wants you. Words are out there you have done something terrible and you cannot be forgiven. If you come with me, at the very least you will be guaranteed safety from the people who wants to punish you." 

Ranfa stayed silent. She did not have much of a choice.

"You're already being persecuted. Are you going to sit here and wait for them to get you? At the very least I am giving you an option here." When he opened the door, he saw Shion. Shion blew smoke in his face. The man did not fear Shion and he walked away confidently.

"Shion..." 

Shion closed the door behind him. "Ranfa-chan..." Shion wasn't sure what he should say right now after hearing everything from behind the door. If they had met Ranfa 6 years ago, she could have saved Michiyo but because fate did not allow GokuLuck to meet Ranfa earlier so Michiyo had to die. Shion was starting to think it was unfair to meet Ranfa now of all time; if they met earlier, Michiyo could have lived and Ranfa could receive care and protection Michiyo had. Shion felt sad knowing the one way to save Michiyo was right in front of him right now.

"It's sad knowing the one person who could have saved everyone's favorite and precious girl is this terrible woman, right?" 

"I never once thought that. Ranfa-chan, what are you going to do?" 

"What can I do? I don't have anything left. If I go out there and try to live, I will be taken away. If I go with that man, I will be used by him." 

Shion walked close to her and he held her hand, "Then come with me." Ranfa looked away but Shion gently move her chin and tilt it up slightly so she's looking at him. "Come with me." Shion repeated this because he knew he was the only one right now who was keeping her together. He didn't want her to think she's on her own and she had to choose between the two choices she mentioned. If she had been dealt the worst hand, the least he could do was help her cheat and become her winning card.

"Shion, you're the best thing to ever happen to me, you know? It's through meeting you I felt genuine happiness. I was happy."

"Then continue to be happy with me. We'll go somewhere so far away no one can get between us. I still remember you saying you want to go to Malaysia, right? I've never forgotten. I can forget about everyone else but you."

Hearing him say that, she felt happy. She's certain Shion knew what she did. Yet, Shion chose her. She wanted to say yes to him and run away with him. She loved Shion. She loved Shion very much. "Shion..." She put her hand over her mouth and she cried warm tears.

Shion patted her head, "It will be okay. You'll see." 

"Hm..." Still crying, she tugged at the front of his coat. 

Gently, Shion leaned down and he kissed her. 

"...?!" Shion had to push her away because in the middle of the kiss, she forced something very small down his throat and he swallowed it. "Ranfa-chan, you...!" 

But it's because she loved Shion very much, she couldn't let him get caught up with her. She slipped a sleeping pill into her mouth and then she delivered it to him through the kiss. "Shion, everything about me is a mistake. I'm a tainted woman with nothing but a heavy cross on my back. Thank you for choosing me despite knowing what I have done." 

Shion felt very faint. He felt like he's about to sleep. He grasped her arms, trying to prevent himself from sleeping. He couldn't sleep now! If he go to sleep now, she will disappear from him! "Ranfa..."

Ranfa hugged Shion to her when his knees hit the floor. "My bad ending shouldn't involve you." It's because she loved Shion that's why she could not let Shion get involved in her inevitable bad ending. If they're together, he will not be happy. She wanted him to be happy so she chose to walk away alone. "At the very least, let me choose how my bad ending should go." She wanted to go to sleep in his arms but she couldn't. She felt so dirty and she didn't want to stain him. When she sat him against the bed, she stood up to walk away. "...?!" A gentle hold touched her fingers. She looked down to see Shion was tiredly holding onto her with the little strength he had left in his body.

"Ranfa..."

"Shion..." He made her hesitate. It made her want to stay with him and run away with him when morning come. But she told herself love didn't always mean you had to be with that person. Knowing when to let go in order for them to be happy was another form of love. She walked away from him before hesitation stop her yet again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shion woke up in a dream. Within the dream he could see a cherry blossom tree on top of a hill. He had this dream before! 6 years ago, he had this dream and he saw a young woman with long pink hair. Now that he think back, that might have been Ranfa! 

"Ranfa-chan...!" He ran up the hill, towards the cherry blossom tree that stood magnificently with its ephemeral beauty.

He hoped to see her at the very top but he saw someone else instead. "Ah..."

Michiyo had no idea why she was here. She wondered if Mikoshiba did something for her to be here. The darkness was thick and the only thing that could be seen were the green grass of this hill and the cherry blossom tree with cherry blossoms blooming beautifully. Michiyo noticed Shion. "Shion~." 

Seeing Michiyo unchanged and still looking like a happy go lucky girl, it made Shion sad. Yet, he smiled at her. "I'm probably looking like an old man to you. I am 28 years old."

"28 is not that old, Shion. Hm~?" Michiyo started walking around him, like the moon orbiting the earth. Shion looked left and then right. What was she doing? 

"Michiyo-chan, why are you orbiting around me?" 

"Trying to see where you need my help. You look good so why are you here?"

"Haha, do I need to be in trouble to see you?" Shion patted her on the head. Seeing her like this, it reminded the days where she was with them and they're all doting on her. "I wish you were still with us, Michiyo-chan. We miss you." He wished for the peaceful days to last. He wanted to watch her grow up happy and fall in love with Mikoshiba.

"Why do you look sad, Shion?" 

He thought he masked it well. He didn't mean for her to see he was feeling sad. He was thinking of not telling her a thing but then the image of Ranfa flashed through his mind; he wondered why Ranfa shouldered everything by herself and won't let him share the burden. He wished Ranfa will be honest with him. He wished he was honest with her then maybe she wouldn't keep falling down the deep end of no return. He was unsure where to start but he tried. "Michiyo-chan, it's about this girl who look exactly like you but slightly older than you. I'm worried about her. I want to save her but I can't reach her. I think she is pushing me away." 

"Ah, exactly what Machi said." 

"What?" 

"Machi said there is this girl who looks like me in the real world. I wish I can meet her too. How old is she?" 

"21." 

"That means if I could see her, I will be able to see what I look like as a 21 year old!" 

"Pfft! Haha...! Why is that your first reaction when I tell you my worry, Michiyo-chan~?" 

"Ah. Sorry." 

"No, it's okay. I think I needed to hear your voice saying silly little things. I wonder if Ranfa-chan had us around her when she's your age, would she be a different Ranfa-chan? I want to save her but she won't let me save her. Am I that unreliable that she won't choose me?" 

"Hmm... I don't think so. If it were me and I know the road ahead of me is a bad one, I would rather go down the road on my own and not drag Shibaken with me." 

Shion stared at Michiyo when she said that because he wondered if Ranfa was thinking about the same thing too.

"If it were me, I would prioritize Shibaken before myself. Like how I saved him knowing I was slowly dying."

Michiyo's way of thinking was selfless but part of Shion did not like it. He knew Mikoshiba will not like it either. "But if it was up to me, I would rather be the one to protect Ranfa-chan." 

"Oh, I am sure Shibaken will fight anything in front of me even if he gets hurt too. But I will fight to be the one shield him because I can't bear to see him hurt."

Hearing Michiyo say that, Shion knew what he must do. "Michiyo-chan, talking to you really helped me out. I feel like I understood Ranfa-chan a little more." Shion stood up and he looked at Michiyo, "Being able to see you again after so long, I am glad. Did you know, Michiyo-chan? I've been with so many people but I can never remember their faces if they appear in front of me again. I can only pretend I remember them." He touched Michiyo's cheek and he affectionately traced it with his thumb, "I am glad I remember your face after all these years. Before meeting Ranfa-chan, I fear I will forget you one day if I am ever separated from the others."

Michiyo smiled and she put her hand over Shion's hand, "Go back to your world, Shion. I am sure Ranfa will want to see you."

"Yeah. I've decided. Even if she push me away, I will still go to her. I really adore her, Michiyo-chan. Even if she can only see a bad ending for herself, I still want to protect her. If she falls..."

"Shion..." 

"That's why I hope she won't fall." Shion started to walk down the hill, leaving Michiyo and the cherry blossom tree. He stopped midway and he looked back to see she was seeing him off. "Thank you." 

Michiyo smiled and she waved him off. "Take care of yourself and live happy, Shion."

Waking up in the cheap hotel room, Shion saw Mikoshiba was in the room along with Ryoga and Hancho. 

"Shion!" Ryoga's voice was loud enough to wake up both Mikoshiba and Hancho. 

Shion looked to his left to see Mikoshiba was sleeping with his back against the bed and his head leaning on his shoulder. Shion noticed Mikoshiba's Phantometal was in his grasp. 

"You won't wake up. Mikoshiba thought you were suffering from Metal Erosion so he licked his metal and made you hold it. Did you see her?" Hancho explained to him. 

"You're talking about Michiyo-chan, right? I saw her. And I wasn't suffering from Metal Erosion. It was just sleeping pills." Shion noticed it was morning. "How did you guys find me?" 

Hancho told Shion he received a message from an unknown person telling him of this location. Hancho thought he will find Ranfa here but he only found Shion. He had the prisoners in one place once again but he did not have the murderer.

"Nngh..." Mikoshiba stirred awake and he quickly moved away from Shion. "You're not dead. Good. She did her job."

"I was never suffering from Metal Erosion in the first place. That being said, Shibaken, has anyone ever called Michiyo-chan Experiment 1314 before?" 

Mikoshiba was surprised Shion was asking this now of all times. "I did. It was some asshole scientist calling her that. He really pissed me off when he talked to her like she's a test subject." 

"Michiyo-chan could have been saved if we had met Ranfa-chan earlier." Shion explained to everyone how Ranfa and Michiyo's power worked together. Hearing what Shion overheard, it made Mikoshiba very angry because Michiyo could have been saved and they all failed because they did not have the 'key'. Knowing now of all times there was a way to save Michiyo was a slap to the face.

"This guy wearing a lab coat and long green hair said he could rule the world if he had them both but he said he could still do it if he had one of them. Michiyo-chan is no longer here so he needs Ranfa-chan." 

"...and you're telling me all this because?" 

"I want you to find that guy and find where his base is. That's where Ranfa-chan is heading. I need to tell her to come back with me." 

Mikoshiba looked at Hancho to see his reaction. 

"Kaida, you're better off letting that girl walk to her own death." He wasn't sure if this will end with Ranfa dying but even if she died, he thought she deserved it after causing so much trouble. Hancho hated Ranfa so much. "I would kill her if I see her. If she going to die on her own, that'd be a good thing." 

Shion did not agree. "Even if the world want her to be dead, I want her to be alive."

"My child is dead because of her, Kaida. Sorry if I couldn't care less of her death." 

Shion didn't know what to say about that. He knew what Ranfa did was unforgivable but he couldn't help but wish to protect her. He didn't want to believe Ranfa was this horrible person by choice. Wasn't this world constantly finding ways to corner her and force her to be this way? He wanted to believe if the circumstances were different, she wouldn't be like this. 

Hancho started to walk towards the door, "I am going back to the hospital. You three go back on your own." 

Ryoga thought it was weird for Hancho to trust them to go home on their own.

"You have 24 hours to make it home starting now. If Mikoshiba's hacking takes more than a day, we will never have this conversation again." Hancho left them to it. He did not agree with Shion that Ranfa needed to be saved but he did not stop Shion from doing what he thought was right.

Mikoshiba sighed and he put his hood over his head, "Take me to a computer and I'll get working."

Ranfa went to the doctor's secret base. She walked past many human test subjects, many of them were still kids but she did not have enough energy to care anymore because she's not here to be a hero. She could hear the pained cries of children begging for the pain to stop and to go home. She could hear other doctors talking in a soulless voice how a test subject died and they needed to readjust the dose. This place was where people were used and there's no one to rescue you. 

"You made the right choice by coming to me, Ranfa-san. With your power, you will help me achieve my dream of world domination. The world is ours to shape." The mad scientist was going on and on with himself. Ranfa wasn't really listening. 

She's tired. She's so tired of everything. In the end, she's being used. Maybe there was a reason to all of her suffering? If she just quietly suffer and go with the flow, would she be spared from all the sadness? It's because she fought back against her destiny that she's constantly on guard and hide away her heart. She wanted a happy life. She genuinely thought she could be happy. "I guess it's not for me..." 

"What did you say?" 

"Nothing. Let me have a cigarette." 

"I'll be waiting for you beyond that room. Once you're ready, come inside. There are things I need to check."

Ranfa looked at the other underlings who worked under this doctor. "I guess I don't even deserve privacy. Whatever." 

One of the assistants explained they did not want her to run away. "We have worked very hard for this very moment and we're not letting it all go to waste." 

"Oh yeah, you worked hard on the expense of others. Sure, whatever makes you feel better." Ranfa answered back while lighting her cigarette. 

The assistant did not like how Ranfa answered like that. "Even if we don't use these test subjects, someone else would have used them. We're just putting them to better use."

"I guess they should thank you all then." Ranfa breathed out the smoke and she smiled smugly when the few assistants started to cough due to being forcefully dragged into second hand smoking.

"Smoking isn't good for you in the long term." 

"Using children as test subject isn't acceptable but here you all are doing exactly just that. You can breathe in a few smoke or two. Stop over exaggerating, breathing in a little smoke isn't going to kill you."

The mad doctor in the other room was focused on the screen in front of him. He was setting everything up. Everything, his life, his passion, and his dedication was all for this moment and it's within grasp. He couldn't get his hands on Kuzuryu Chisei's Phantometal, he couldn't get his hands on Michiyo, but now he had Ranfa. He needed to get Ranfa wired up and get her power of the key to work. "The key will open new doors and a new ruler will rise. Haha. Hahaha...!" However, before he could load anything up, the screen suddenly blackened and a digitalized smiley face appeared on the screen with a snickering laughter. "What?!" The mad doctor tried to get out of the room but the door did not open. He tried using his keycard but it did not open. 

Outside, the hallway, the lights were flickering on and off before consuming the whole hallway in complete darkness. Ranfa used the light from her phone to see what was going on and she saw something that shocked her. She saw the assistants were on the cold hard ground with multiple stab wounds. She looked at the stabber in shock. "Shion...?!" 

Shion did not say anything and he took her by the wrist, taking her along with him. They were about to use the elevator but Shion noticed the elevator was coming up which meant there will be people using it. Did the doctor call for security? "This way." They took the stairs instead. 

"Shion, I don't understand- why are you-?!"

"Shibaken hacked the system. Ryoga is distracting the guards. I sneaked in to get you. Shibaken told me where you were once he got your location on the camera. Heh, I always treat him like a kid but really that intelligence of his really shine through." 

Ranfa stopped all of a sudden. Shion looked at her because he wondered why she stopped. "Ranfa-chan?" 

"I told you, I don't have a choice. I am not running away with you. I literally can't." 

"I know that. But that doesn't mean I have to listen to that, right?" 

"Shion-!"

"If it's your choice not to run away with me, then it's my choice to take you with me by force." He was irritated by the noise of his knife dripping with blood. He didn't like using it as a weapon as it was the very same thing that got him in prison in the very first place. For her, he was willing to use it again. "If you push me away from you to protect me, then let me stain my hands to protect you."

Ranfa didn't know what to say. It made her want to cry when he said that to her. "I...! I just...!" She didn't want him to protect her but she was touched after everything that had happened, he still chose to protect her. "I don't deserve to be protected." 

"I know." 

"Then why?!"

"Because you're not a mistake. You never were. To me, you're Ranfa-chan. Ranfa-chan who is desperately living, telling everyone 'I am here'. He knew how it felt to live aimlessly without a single thing. It's because he walked a similar road to her that he wanted to protect her. He stepped up until he was on the same step as her. He pulled her into a hug. "Because you kept yelling 'I am here' that's why I am here. All you have to do is say something and I will be here for you."

Ranfa's lips trembled. Only Shion's words could make her cry from her heart. "You won't be happy even if we leave together..." 

"I know. Everyone tells me the same thing. I will determine if I am happy or not. If I am happy with you, I am simply happy with you." 

Ranfa came here with the intent to punish herself and to die should the doctor fail. Yet, here was Shion telling her to go with him and be happy with him once again. 

"Let's go. This time, don't let go of my hand." 

Ranfa held his hand and let him take her away. What will the future have in store for them? She didn't believe she deserved a happy ending but having Shion here made her believe in this very small miracle.

Shion tried to open the door he came in from but he was unable to open it. He could only guess something must have happened on Mikoshiba's side that the door couldn't remain unlocked. "Ranfa-chan, this way." They had to take another route different from the original route.

Ryoga was forced to run away from the secret base. It was hard but he was able to outrun all of the guards and their dogs. 'Did something happen to Shibaken?' 

Back where Mikoshiba was, he was forced to leave the computer at the internet cafe unoccupied and self deleting all traces of it being used to hack because the scientists working for the doctor was able to trace where Mikoshiba was. "Dammit! If it was my laptop with my programs already in there, this wouldn't happen! I did all I can..." He said while hiding within the shadows between two buildings. He had to escape before he's caught by the police. "Ryoga-chan, Shion... Get out of there while you can." 

They all planned to retrieve Ranfa but at the same time they all agreed everyone's on their own if they felt their own life were under threat. Mikoshiba was not about to get caught. He kept an eye where the police were heading and he decided to stealth through them by blending in with the crowd. He managed to get into a taxi and he told the driver to take him to the hospital where Hancho and Machiko will be. "My friend will pay for the fare." 

"Sure, no problem. Please put your seatbelt on." The taxi driver unknowingly drove Mikoshiba away from the scene...

The alarms were blaring red and the noise was loud as it kept repeating intruders had entered the base. Shion and Ranfa were finding it hard to escape the base. Was it impossible?

"Don't worry, Ranfa-chan. I'll get you out of here." 

"...this is my fault. I'm going to get you killed-" 

"It's not your fault. You came here to give up. I'm the one who came here forcefully taking you away from your plan." 

"There they are!" They were seen by the security guards paid to keep intruders out. 

With her quick thinking, Ranfa quickly put Shion's arm around her neck. "Point the knife at my neck." 

"What-?!"

"Do it!"

Shion did as Ranfa said and he made it look like he had a hostage.

"Stop!" The one guard calling the shots stopped his men from even thinking about shooting. 

Ranfa knew she was too important to be shot; the doctor needed her alive no matter what for his plan to work.

"I'm sorry, Ranfa-chan." Shion suddenly apologized. 

"What- ahh?!" Ranfa felt the tip of the knife dig a little into her neck. Shion drew blood with the knife. 

"Stop! Stop! We got it, we're all putting our knives down. Calm down..." 

"Where is the elevator that will take us to the exit? Show me now." Shion showed the guard he's the one calling the shots now. The guard who was originally calling the shots had no choice but to heed to Shion's demand. He showed Shion where to go and gave him a keycard to escape the final door. As the guard was about to move his hand back, Ranfa grabbed his wrist, instantly killing him in front of the other guards. The other guards never witnessed Metal Erosion until now. Seeing what Ranfa was capable of scared them into running away because they thought their boss died of a contagious virus.

The elevator finally opened. 

"There they are! Fire!" From the incoming guards' angle down the other side of the hall way, they could only see Shion and his height hid Ranfa from them.

Shion quickly pushed Ranfa into the elevator as he turned his back to the guards. Ranfa quickly pressed for the elevator to shut the door. Before the incoming guards could clash with the door and trap them, the elevator closed and started to go down. 

"Haha. I didn't think we'd succeed but we did, Shion." She sat down against the wall of the confined space. She looked at him to see he was sat down already. 

"Ranfa-chan..." He put his hand over hers. "Once we get out of here, let's leave this place and go to a place where no one know who we are. If we're being chased, we'll keep running. Run to the end of the world if we have to." 

"Hm. I'll go anywhere with you, Shion."

"...good, you will go with me. I was worried you will knock me out and leave without me."]

"I just didn't want to drag you with me. I can't waste your efforts for coming all the way here, can I? I'll go anywhere with you, Shion."

The elevator door finally opened. The elevator lead them to a parking lot. Beyond the row of cars was the gate leading to the way out that could be opened with a keycard.

"Ranfa-chan," 

"Yeah?" 

"I don't want you to think you are a mistake ever again." 

She must have made him angry when she said that in front of him. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't say it ever again." 

"Promise?" 

"I promise." She held her hand out to him for him to take.

Shion smiled weakly and he took her hand...

Chapter Text

But Shion did not have the strength to stand up. He was sweating and his breathing was heavily labored. Shion fell to his left.

"Shion?! Shion!" Ranfa noticed the wall behind Shion and she gasped when she saw blood. She looked behind him and he was bleeding from behind. "Shion!" Shion was shot. Did he take all those bullets for her? What should she do? They needed to escape! Get an ambulance-

"Ranfa-chan..." Shion calmed her down by touching her wrist and smiling at her. He knew he won't make it. Not with the amount of blood he had lost. "And here I thought I could keep it together..." 

"Shion!"

"Ranfa-chan, you always felt no one can protect you so you do whatever it takes to protect yourself... Hah... This time, I did it, right? I protected you, right?"

Ranfa cried as she helplessly try to carry Shion. She tried to carry him on her back but because he had no strength to stand on his own, his weight overpowered her. "Why? WHY?! Why does this always happen to me?! I just wanted to protect the things I hold dear...!" This was why she didn't want to drag Shion with her! She was walking on a road with no happiness! She should have just walked to her forever prison! It's because she was touched by Shion's promise and now he had to pay the ultimate price for it.

"Shh...shh..." Even as he was bleeding to death, he still tried to comfort her and calm her down. "It's okay, Ranfa-chan..." 

"No! It's not okay! I killed you! I killed you, Shion! It's because you met me...! It's because-!" 

"That's not true." 

"Eh...?" 

"I met you. I chose to love you. I chose to protect you no matter what wrong you have committed. I will always choose you, Ranfa-chan." 

"Why? You shouldn't have chose me! You should have chose to go back with the others...! I-I've already decided this place will be my prison! So why...?!"

"Because I know this isn't what you want. Ranfa-chan, I know you wanted to choose me. But because of all the circumstances, you chose to protect me and choose to let me go. Ranfa-chan, tell me..." He touched her cheek with his blood covered hand. Just like her hand, his hand was dirty too. "Forget about everything. Be a little selfish and stop thinking about others. I want to hear what you want."

She fulfilled his wish and she held him close, her cheek touched his left cheek and this made Shion smile a little because the scale-like marks were on his left cheek. He felt as if she's telling him she accepted all of him.

"I want to live with you and everyone. The happiness Michiyo felt with you all, I wanted to feel that too..." She cried against him because she didn't want him to die. They were so close to leaving everything behind so why couldn't they make it? "I wanted to be with you forever...!"

"Haha, I'm happy to hear that~." He was really happy to hear her say that. People always come and go but to hear her tell him she wanted to be with him when he had nothing to offer, it made him happy. Light was starting to dim. He felt so tired. His eyelids were getting heavy. 'No good... I really am dying... I don't want her to think she has nothing left...' He thought as he listened to her cry. "Ranfa-chan?" 

"Shion... Shion, don't die... Please don't leave me... I-I won't have anything left if you die. I'll go insane..." She saw his knife on the ground. Maybe she should go with him. She had nothing left anyway-

"Ranfa-chan, don't make anymore mistakes. You've made so much mistakes, a lot of them are unforgivable..."

"Shion..." 

Shion wanted to look at her face one last time. He caressed her cheek with his hand and his thumb traced her tears slowly. "I don't like the things that you do. If I was there with you, I would never agree with your methods. Even so, my arms are always open so you can come and cry to your heart's content."

She wished she could have met Shion earlier. If she met him earlier, she was certain her life would be different.

Shion tiredly closed his eyes. He was about to rest them but then he felt a very bright light. He opened his eyes slightly. Standing behind Ranfa was Michiyo. Seeing Michiyo, his own eyes were welling with tears. "I made a lot of mistakes too, Ranfa-chan. If we cannot be forgiven, we'll stay in our own little world and tell everyone else to "Keep Out." I'll stop you from making anymore mistakes and you keep me together, okay?" Shion saw Michiyo reach her hand out to him. He reached his bloodstained hands to Michiyo's spirit, "Thank you both for being so kind to me... If there is such thing as another life, I want to watch over you two one more time." His hand touched Michiyo's hand. "Thank you..." 

"Shion!" 

Shion's hand fell. Ranfa felt his hand limp against her back. "Shion...! Shion! No...! NO!!!" No matter how much she cried out his name, he could no longer hear her. Shion died with a calm smile on his face. He get to die in the arms of the girl who loved him and whom he loved, he lived a good life in his own way. "Shion, don't leave me! Aah...ahh...!" What should she do now?

Footsteps were making its way to the elevator. The mad doctor took the long way to get to the elevator. "I see your actions had caused another death, Ranfa-san. How much more deaths are you going to cause by simply getting close to others?" He didn't foresee disruptions but it was slightly interesting because if things were too successful then it'd be boring. "Come on. Let's get back to business." 

Ranfa didn't say anything.

"Even if you make it out of my secret base, you will not be able to live a happy life. Your destiny has already been locked to a bad ending." 

"Bad ending, huh...?" Was there really nothing left for her?

"Once you are ready, come back to my lab." His assistant looked at the doctor with an astonished look! "Don't worry. She will come along. She has nothing left. There's nothing for her out there."

Ranfa continued to hold Shion's lifeless body. She stayed there and cried until there were no more tears to cry. She carefully rest him against the wall and it looked as if he was simply sleeping. Ranfa leaned in to give him one last kiss but she stopped herself in the last moment. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder, "I can't kiss you as I am..." She pressed for the elevator, choosing to return to the mad doctor. 

The mad doctor waited and waited. When he saw Ranfa coming into the research lab, he smiled. "Just as I thought." 

There was nothing for her out there. No present, no future, no happiness, nothing. She will be hunted if she went out there. She chose not to get caught by outsiders. 

"Sit on that chair and let me get everything prepared." 

There's a huge glass cylinder in the middle of the room. Inside was a mechanical chair. Ranfa went inside of the glass cylinder without any struggle and she sat on the chair. The chair was kind of like a throne. Why did she have this power to cause Metal Erosion and give her the illusion she was in control? Others will see it as a gift but it felt more like a curse to her. If she could choose, she would rather not have this power. There's so much what ifs. There were no meanings to seeking these what ifs because it will never change the fact she was born and she lived. She caused so much unhappiness just so she could be happy.

"Haha... Hahahaha!!!! Behold! The power of the key! This world is mine to rule! I will use it to control these useless sheeps! Those who won't listen to me will feel the wrath of Metal Erosion! They have no will of their own! They will all bow before me!" He was watching electrical currents course through the machines and to the many wires that were connected to the contraptions worn by Ranfa. 

Ranfa closed her eyes as if she's going to sleep. Her life was full of nothing but sexual abuse, drugs, alcohol, and distrust. Whenever she thought she could finally be happy, something will drag her back to the unhappiness she was built to be accustomed to.

"Now Ranfa, let me use your power to change the whole world!"

Ranfa felt the volts course through her body. 

"Nngh...!" She should just give up. Yet, something in her was rising. Like a phoenix taking flight from the ashes, her will had something to say. 

"Sir, the readings are going haywire! All of the energy is focusing back in here." The mad doctor's assistant said to him.

"What?!"

"She is controlling her own powers to- UWAH?!?!?!?!!!" The assistant couldn't say anything because they died from Metal Erosion at an unimaginable speed. 

"Ranfa-san, stop?! What are you doing?!" 

"I don't have anything left. But I do have my own will left. I hate the idea of being used. I'm tired of it. If I am going to choose to be here, I will be here in my own way! Using my power to control Metal Erosion to control the world, huh? This means this machine will make my power's range insane." 

The doctor tried to turn off the machine by force but he felt his arms and legs shatter upon the weight of his body's bones. When he fell to the ground, he accidentally guillotined his own tongue and started to bleed heavily from the mouth. 'She caused my arms and legs to rust like metal! This girl...! What is she...?!' 

Ranfa stood up from the mechanical chair that looked like a cold and lonely throne. "I'm not interested in ruling this world. This world has been nothing but a pain. I should take my frustrations out on everyone else who are happy and leaving me behind... Yet, this is the very same world that let me meet Shion. I felt love. I felt happiness. I would give my everything for another world where I can meet Shion one more time."

"Wha...wha ah yo...?!" The mad doctor could not formulate a sentence properly. He was dying and it was her fault. He was so close to gaining the rights to rule this world as a leader and this girl who had nothing ruined it for him!

"I won't save a world where Shion is not in it. I am not a hero. I can't bring the dead back either... I have no interest in a world that keeps abusing me and throwing me aside. If there is another world where I can be happy, that'd be great." She thought about Shion telling her to be a little selfish. This was the moment. She chose to be selfish. She chose to reset this whole world and bring forth a new world where there will be a happy ending. 

The mad doctor started to hurl incoherent ramblings at her way. He used his chin to crawl to her but he was not getting near her. 

Ranfa chose to be selfish and she used her power to force the world to come to a complete reset. Shion's death will not happen; Machiko will not lose her child; Ranfa will not be the Ranfa standing here; Michiyo will not die, and most importantly... Shion will surely be there having enjoying cigarette like always. "Did I make the right choice this time, Shion?" She closed her eyes as a powerful white light enveloped her and started to spread. It was consuming everything. No one will be spared from the reset. 

...

Machiko opened her eyes. Where did she end up? The world was exactly like the world where she saw Michiyo. Only difference was, the muddy water on the vast land was now pure water. It's so pure and clean that it reflected the sky.

Machiko saw Ranfa up ahead. She was about to catch up to her but Ranfa looked at her and shook her head, silently telling Machiko not to follow her. "Where I am going is not the direction you should go, Machiko." 

"Then where are you going?" 

"To where I deserve to go." 

Machiko didn't say anything because where Ranfa will go will have nothing but suffering.

"Machiko, you are a good person. Good people like you deserve peace and happiness. You don't deserve to be hurt. That's why I can't forgive this world where I ended up hurting you." Ranfa looked at Machiko. There's no reason to hide or lie anymore. "I'm sorry..." 

Machiko couldn't say anything because she couldn't forgive Ranfa for hurting her and killing her child. Ranfa did so much wrong from the moment she killed Machiko's sister.

"This world that's so unfair, I'm resetting it. I just hope things can change if I can make better choices..." Ranfa started to walk on. 

"... If the circumstances were different, I wanted to cherish you like I did for Michi." 

Ranfa paused when Machiko said that. Ranfa smiled a little, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't look back at Machiko and she continued to walk.

Machiko watched Ranfa walked away on her own. Ranfa looked so lonely. She wanted to call out to her but someone else called out to Machiko instead.

"Machiko." Hancho called out to her. When Machiko looked at his way she gasped audibly and her hands covered her mouth. Hancho was holding their child in his arms and she could hear the sound of a baby cooing.

"Hancho..." When she saw their child moving, she wanted to cry. This meant this world was not the world of the living. "So this is what our child would look like if they were alive." It will be a very short lived moment but it was better than nothing at all.

Hancho used one hand to pat her on the head, "You could have chose better but you chose me. It was short but thank you." 

His words made her cry. She hugged her husband and their child. "I should be the one to say thank you. Thank you for making me happy all these years."

Hancho kissed her on the forehead and then Machiko leaned in to let him kiss her on the lips. Somehow, they both knew this will be their final meeting. "I'm going ahead, Machiko. Catch up to me when you're ready." He gently pushed their child into Machiko's arms. 

"We're not leaving together?" If this was the afterlife, she wanted to leave together, hand in hand, and hope they will be together in their next life too.

"I think you should talk to him first." 

Machiko looked at the direction where Hancho was looking at. Machiko gasped because she saw Inukai Yuto, the kind part of Hancho. 

But there was something Machiko needed to say to Hancho. "Hancho!" 

Hancho paused and he turned to look at her with a smirk, "What? You want to bang before we go?" 

Machiko would have smacked him for that but she ran to him and embraced him one more time. "You don't need to put up a strong front anymore... I'm sorry you always had to be strong just so I can stand." 

Hancho didn't say anything and hugged her back one more time. "It's something a man should be doing. You never burdened me. Maybe... I needed you just so I can stand." Hancho let go of her and he turned her around, giving her a gentle push towards Inukai.

"Machiko-san..." Inukai whispered Machiko's name. He didn't think he'd able to see her like this. 

Machiko looked back to see Hancho was no longer by her side. She will catch up to him soon. She started to walk towards Inukai while holding their child. Once she's in front of Inukai, Inukai touched his child's tiny hand and he watched his child wrap their little fingers around his ring finger. 

"Machi-" 

Machiko slapped Inukai hard on the cheek. It’s their first time seeing one another after so long and it’s through a reset. Inukai felt no pain but his heart hurt seeing her crying. He knew why he was slapped; he hid himself from her and from everyone for six whole years. He touched his cheek as if the slap burnt itself onto his skin and leaving a forever reminder of his selfishness.

"You idiot...!" Machiko knew why he ran away from her and everyone. She's just sad he chose to run away instead of facing the pain together.

"... I walked her to her death. I couldn't face you, who love her so much like a sister, and Mikoshiba-kun who also love her very much. I promised to protect Michiyo-chan and I failed. I couldn't face you all."

"So you decided to punish yourself and imprison yourself...?!" While holding her baby, she used one hand, curling it into a fist, and she kept raining hits against his chest as if to knock sense back into him. "We were all in pain! Do you know how confused and sad we all were?! Did you even ask if we wanted you to imprison yourself in loneliness?! You think you deserve to be punished? We were all punishing ourselves for failing to protect Michi!" Her fist stopped against his chest, she pressed her forehead against his chest. "Why do you always shoulder everything yourself?! You tell us to share our pain but when you're the one in pain, you hide it from everyone! That's not fair, Yuto!" Machiko said all that but while breathing heavily, she realized she was the same as Inukai in this aspect too. She didn't care if she sounded hypocritical right now because he needed to hear this right now. "I'm not as strong as you think I am, Yuto... Even I have moments of weaknesses and need someone to pull me back up again." Machiko took him by the hand. She told him while Hancho had been there, she could tell he's burdened too. "The other you is the same too... I can tell he's in pain. But he puts up a strong front just so I can stay standing." 

It was very hypocritical of Inukai. Surely if the others were here, they'd probably pummel him for leaving them and call him out like Machiko was doing.

"They will never say it but I know the guys were waiting for you to come back and guide them to move on from the pain! Ryoga needed you to tell him violence wasn't the answer! If Hisui wasn't there to keep him sane, he would have destroyed their one and only home! Shion puts on a fake smile and tells everyone he's okay when he's not! The brat probably wanted you to tell him how to get over Michi's death and move forward! I needed you to hold my hand and promise me you will guide me through it...!" She loved both sides of Inukai. As much as she loved Hancho, there will always be a part of her searching for Inukai. Hancho's a good husband and she believed he would be a good father to their child, but she needed the kind Inukai because both men came into her life and made her happy. The two of them shared their unique form of happiness with her and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the two sides of him who made her the happiest woman alive.

"Machiko-san..." 

"I had the other you by my side, but I needed you too, Yuto!" 

Inukai didn't know. He only thought about punishing himself as he deserved it. He didn't realize the others needed him. He thought he was no longer needed. He thought the others will hate him for walking Michiyo to her death. He hated himself so much that he wanted to die. He didn't realize he caused so much trouble for others. He pulled Machiko close and he hugged her to him. "I'm sorry..." 

"You better be! Now I have to tell you what happened in these six years you were gone!" 

"I'm all ears." 

"You better be because it is a long one!"

Inukai looked at their child, who was beaming with a lot of innocent happiness because their parents were arguing but still very much in love. Inukai smiled, "Tell me."

"But will you remember?"

"I probably won't, but I know you will remember it for me and remind me again and again."

Machiko held his hand and the two of them walked on together. Will they have it all or lose it all after the world come to a complete reset? 

"I'm a little scared." Machiko admitted to him, "Will you really be there for me?" 

This time, he could answer her. "I won't repeat my mistake."

"This time, don't run away from me or our child." 

While finding his dear cat Luna, Hokusai wandered around in this beautiful and serene world to look for his brothers but he couldn't find them. He did find someone waiting for him though. "Saki...!" His pace went a little faster as he caught up to her. "Saki, I found you." 

Ever since she died, Sakira had the option to go on without him or to wait for him. She waited for him here. She didn't want to go alone because she was afraid. "Hokusai! Luna!" She hugged Hokusai but she started to cry when she realized what this meant. "No..." She died, and he died too.

"Shh, it's okay. At least we are together now." Hokusai said while patting her head, "I'm sorry I failed to protect you..." 

"But it's not your fault."

Hokusai was so happy he found her. He felt so sad to find out she had died. "Hm?" There was something sparkling in the water. He went to pick it up.

"Wow, what a beautiful ring~." 

Luna climbed into Hokusai's coat, staying where she will be nice and cozy.

Hokusai wanted to put this ring on her finger and ask for her to marry him in the real world. Will he get his wish in the reset? "Saki, in the next world, will you marry me?"

"Fueh?!" She didn't expect this at all! She wasn't prepared for him to ask her that! She didn't know how to react! She looked at his face to see he was not nervous one bit and he was very calm about it. Seeing him like this, how could she say anything other than a yes? She gave him her hand, "I don't know if I will be good enough for you, but if you let me stay by your side, I will be very happy."

Hokusai was happy and he slipped his ring onto her ring finger. Seeing Sakira's happy smile and the ring he worked hard being worn by her, he was so happy. "Saki, look." 

Sakira turned around and she could see the other members of Akanyatsura were calling out to them to go to them.

"Shall we go?" Hokusai offered his hand to her. 

Sakira was about to take it but then she remembered something she had to tell him. "Hokusai, I met the girl who looked like Michi before you came here." 

"Ranfa, huh?" 

"Yeah. She apologized to me." 

"... Do you resent her for killing you?" 

"Mmm... I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared. I'm just sad I couldn't spend more time with Hokusai, Onee-chan, and everyone I love." 

Hokusai thought Sakira would be angry at Ranfa. "I don't know how to feel about Ranfa's apology, Saki. I don't think I can forgive her." 

"It's hard to remember but she looked panicked and that she looked it was her only choice. I wish I could have told her it was okay and I wanted to help her." Sakira never resented Ranfa. Even now, like Machiko, she wanted to reach a helping hand to Ranfa. "I think that girl lived a hard life and thought if she doesn't sort it out herself, it will haunt her. I wish I could have told her there was another way and she didn't need to feel scared." Sakira might have been killed in cold blood but she could see Ranfa was cornered to the point where killing in cold blood was the answer. Sakira wished she had the strength to help Ranfa at the time. She wished she could have met this girl who looked like Michiyo under different circumstances. Seeing Hokusai looked conflicted about her answer, Sakira smiled and she asked Hokusai to give her a hug.

"Eh?" Even though he was confused, he still hugged her anyway. 

"If there is such thing as another life, Hokusai, I want to try and help her. I want to do what I couldn't do in this life. I'm sure Onee-chan feels the same."

"And what if it doesn't work out?" 

"Ah, that is a good point. Not everything work out as expected. Like that time I dropped the ice cream when I was eating crepe. Anyway! Then we can always try again! And again! And again! Besides... You are always there for me, right?"

In the distance, Reo and Satsuki were getting impatient to the point of arguing with one another. Sakira and Hokusai could hear them from here. 

"Let's go." Sakira chose to walk towards the reset and hope things will be different. She wanted to believe as long as there's a strong standing will, there will be a way paved just for them.

Ranfa walked to the edge of the serene world. Ahead of her was the cold void. There's nothing there. No coldness, no warmth, nobody. This was her destination. What was ahead of her? She was about to walk into the darkness but smoke blew from behind her. She felt someone grab her hand, stopping her from taking a step forward into the darkness.

Ranfa turned around and she saw Shion. "Shion..."

"There you are Ranfa-chan, where are you going?"

"... The other way. You go that way, Shion. That's where everyone else is."

"But you're not there, Ranfa-chan. Come with me."

Ranfa shook her head, "They wouldn't want me to go the same way. I don't deserve to go that way where everyone is." 

"Then I'll go with you." 

"You don't need to go with me. I'll be fine on my own from here on out." 

"No." Shion stood firm. Either he will go with her to the darkness or he will go to where everyone was while taking her by the hand. 

"Shion, please don't make this difficult. Where do you think terrible people like me will end up going if there is a choice of heaven and hell? I won’t be in heaven." 

"I'm not exactly good either." 

"Your circumstances are different from mine, Shion." 

She tried to move but he won't let her go. 

"Let go of me!" She had already decided to punish herself so why was he trying to stop her? "Don’t follow me! Go over there with everyone else!"

But no matter how much she fought against him, he still won't let go. 

Ranfa cried as she pushed him away. She kept telling him to go away. No matter how much she hit him, curse at him, anything... He won't let her go. "I don't love you anymore so go and be free with everyone else! Be with everyone else...! Be happy with everyone else for fuck's sake...!"

Shion did not say anything other than look at her. He watched her break down and her knees hit the ground with pure water. "Now look me in the eyes while saying that."

Ranfa glared up at him. She tried to tell him she no longer loved him but the more she wanted to say it the more she couldn't. 

Shion got down on his knee and he hugged her to him. He dropped the cigarette to the water.

"Why...? After all the evil things I have done...? Why? I deserve to be in hell. Sakira, Machiko's unborn child, and dragging you into my problem... I've done so much wrong I can never be forgiven."

"I wonder... I should despise you and yet all I want to do is hold you close to me."

Ranfa cried against him. Even if the world despised her and used all of its might to make her unhappy, Shion will always be there and make her happy. She wished everything could be different. She wished she could have been happy with him. She wished she could be with him for a little longer. She cried loudly like a child. There was nothing burdening her anymore. 

"If we meet again, I won’t make the same mistakes." She touched the scale-like mark on his cheek, "Is it okay for me to fall in love with you if we meet again?"

Holding her hands, Shion stood up and supported her up. He gave her his answer, "Ranfa-chan is always welcome in my arms." When Shion told Ranfa that it was something most didn't think mattered. After all, he always took affection as something physical. For him saying he would welcome them in his bed it was something for those he may never see or care for... In his arms however, it meant he will expect her to be there more than once and he's her home where she could come to rest.

The world could be so merciful, beautiful, and loving. But at the same time, the world could be ugly, cruel, and unforgiving without reason. Even so, everyone will stand strong and strive to live in their way. Be it standing up on their own, or helping one another to stand up. Because by living, humans leave behind traces where they tell the world despite the hardships they had to face, they overcame it, and still lived a happy life. 

Everyone's shape of happiness could differ in form. What does your shape of happiness look like?

"Wait one moment." Shion needed to have a cigarette first.

"You're seriously going to go through the reset while smoking?" She asked him that as if to criticize him but when she was given the cancer stick, she took it anyway.

"Is there a rule saying I can't do that?" Once he lit his cigarette, he pulled her a little closer and gave her a cigarette kiss.

"There isn't." 

"Then it's fine. Let's go." 

Ranfa still think she shouldn't go in the same direction as Shion but with him keeping her by his side, there was no way for her to go down a solitary path and punish herself.

"You punished yourself enough all these years, Ranfa-chan. It's enough. Be selfish and give the world a deserved middle finger for fucking with you until now." 

Ranfa smiled at his words and she held his hand. This time, she won't let go. 

"Ranfa-chan?" 

"Yes?" 

"Are you happy?" 

She thought she will never be happy after her granny died. She met Shion and she felt happiness and love once again. It was short lived but she definitely did feel happiness. 

She looked up at him and she gave him her best smile, "Yes. I'm happy, Shion." 

Satisfied with her answer, the two of them walked towards the light...

Chapter Text

Mikoshiba was walking in the serene world with his hands in his pocket. He was looking for her because he had a feeling she will be here somewhere. He just needed to find her. 

"Ah." Mikoshiba paused when he saw all members of Akanyatsura and Sakira. He noticed Sakira had a ring on her ring finger. He rubbed the back of his neck and he avoid looking at her, "Congrats." 

Sakira smiled and she thanked him for congratulating her, "I had a lot of fun playing video games with you. If we can play again that'd be nice~." 

"I'll kick your sorry ass if we play again!" 

"You're always so angry, Shibaken. No wonder you died a virgin." Reo was making fun of Mikoshiba. 

"What? Did you collect all the STD's like Pokémon?"

"Hah?!"

"Let's be real here, anyone fucking with you probably have super low standards to fuck a dwarf like you anyway!" 

"You take that back!" 

"Heh." Mikoshiba had enough of talking with Reo. He at his rivals, "Did any of you see her?"

Akanyatsura did not see Michiyo on the way here. If they saw her, they would have kept her company until someone from GokuLuck come to pick her up.

"I see. Then when we see each other again, we're going to win." Even if the world was coming to an end following with a new beginning, Mikoshiba declared war as member of GokuLuck. "See you." Mikoshiba walked away from them, still in search of Michiyo. 

"Shibaken." Ryoga was glad he was able to run into Mikoshiba, "I'm going ahead."

"Why are you carrying that Hisui behind your back?" Mikoshiba looked at Hisui with a confused expression, "Is she disabled?"

"She's not, idiot. Machi said the world will reset."

Hisui perked up over Ryoga shoulder, "That's why I should do things I never get to do in real life! This is one of them! I always wanted to get a piggyback ride on Ryoga's back~!" 

Mikoshiba rolled his eyes at her words, "Shouldn't you be accepting this big oaf have feelings for you? Quit rejecting him and get with him."

"Shibaken-?!" Ryoga wanted to kick his ass! If Hisui wasn't on his back like a koala, he would have hit Mikoshiba and put him in a headlock!

"If this world is resetting, I'll think about it properly. I've always thought the fun days of him working at my shop will keep going. Realizing how fleeting life is, I should be seizing opportunities. That's why..." Hisui wrapped her arms around Ryoga's neck for support and she pressed her forehead against the back of his shoulder, "Let's meet again. Come say hello to me. I will definitely say hello back to you."

Ryoga was happy to hear that. He was actually worried about not meeting her and if she will point blank reject him in the next world. Hearing her assure him she will definitely say hello back to him made his heart feel at ease. "I'd like that." Ryoga decided to go on ahead of Mikoshiba but he realized he forgot to ask Mikoshiba something important. "Shibaken, did you find Michi?"

"I am looking for her now." 

"Alright. I'll go on ahead. When we meet again, let's show everyone our rage." He held his hand out to Mikoshiba to shake. 

Mikoshiba shook hands with Ryoga, "I will steal your number 1 spot in Prison Rap." Even though they're comrades as GokuLuck, it did not change the fact they're rivals when it came to Prison Rap. 

Ryoga grinned, "Bring it on." In a way, Ryoga admired Mikoshiba because this young man came to prison at such a young age and he feared no one, not even adults. Ryoga hated how Mikoshiba will pick fights with his unruly mouth but he acknowledged Mikoshiba had skills hence why Mikoshiba held his number 2 spot for so long in Prison Rap.

Mikoshiba watched Ryoga disappear into the distance. "Hopefully you can get that lady to date you in the new world." He walked on. Who will he meet next?

"Oi, brat." 

Mikoshiba didn't like Hancho very much because the other will resort to violence in order to get what he wanted. Hancho used less of it only because Machiko was there to stop him but when she's not there, it was game on. Still, having Hancho there was of some help; it meant the other Inukai had a chance to come back... but that never happened and it made Mikoshiba feel a little lonely.

"If you wait a little longer, the other me is catching up with Machiko." 

"Seriously?!" 

"Ah. I figured I should give them time to catch up. I don't want the other me to focus too much on me when he should be spending time with his wife and kid." Hancho lit himself a cigarette and he walked on without looking back.

Mikoshiba didn't like Hancho very much but leaving without so much as a farewell was leaving a this lingering feeling that gnawed at him. Mikoshiba turned around and he looked at Hancho's back, "Oi, when we meet again, we're going to make everyone know who GokuLuck is!" 

Hancho waved once and he moved on.

Mikoshiba broke into a run. On top of looking for Michiyo, he had someone he wanted to see. He soon came to a slow stop because he saw him: the kind part of Inukai Yuto.

Inukai was not alone. He was walking alongside his wife and their child that's in her arms.

"Mikoshiba-kun..." Inukai saw himself as his prison guard, comrade, and a guardian of sorts. He saw himself as the adult who needed to watch over him. When Michiyo came into the picture, the feeling to watch over the two grew stronger. Seeing 21 year old Mikoshiba was making his tears well up because the 15 year old he was used to seeing was all grown up and into a handsome young man. "Wow, look at you-" 

"Don't you say the same thing as Flowers for brain! I don't need you to tell me how handsome I am! I won't be happy hearing that from you! Six years, Inukai! Six fucking years and it's when the world is fucking ending you show up now?!" 

"Geh... I knew you will be angry but not this angry..." Inukai looked at Machiko, eyes pleading for his wife to help him. 

"You need to hear this, Yuto. I think this will be good for you both." His wife abandoned him to Mikoshiba's wrath!

"If you have time to fucking disappear to punish yourself then you should fucking die instead! Don't shove the other you out, forcing everything on him and give everyone the false hope you were still there! We nee-!?" There was no way in hell he will tell Inukai he was waiting for him. Just no way. "... We don't really care about you, but your woman needed you! I know she is a gorilla and all, but she's still a woman! The zookeeper need to be there to stop her from chimping out!" 

"If I wasn't holding my child, you will be on the floor, you fucking brat!" 

"Uwah-?! Please don't fight in front of our baby?!" Inukai said that, but the baby was finding the fight between Mikoshiba and his mother to be a form of entertainment. "Mikoshiba-kun, I can't say for certain what will happen when we see each other again but I can say this. If this world should repeat itself, I hope a miracle happens and I will make the right decision this time. I won't leave Machiko-san, and I won't leave you or the others." 

"... You better remember your own words. You're the one who made the promise."

"I promise. Things will be different." Inukai touched Mikoshiba's shoulder, "You've endured through pain, grief, and has grown into a fine man. Making it this far, I couldn't be more proud."

At that moment, it felt like some of rite to growing up. Mikoshiba grit his teeth and he grabbed the front of his hoodie, pulling at it lightly. His fist was shaking slightly. "There's a lot of stupid and cheesy things I wanted to hear from your stupid fucking mouth, you idiot..." Hancho was good at taking his anger out on things and he told 15 year old Mikoshiba to take his rage of losing someone important on something or someone... But after the roaring rage came the solitude from sorrow he did not know how to overcome. Taking his rage out on something or someone could only take him so far. What he needed was to hear the gentle side of Inukai telling him how to grief properly. After losing Michiyo and losing Inukai, he felt lonely because no one knew what the right words to say to him, who loved Michiyo very much. Everyone thought he's intelligent than most kids his age at the time but they overlooked the fact Mikoshiba was still a kid and children needed the guidance of adults.

Inukai blinked once and standing in front of him was no longer 21 year old Mikoshiba. He smiled like a father looking at his son when Mikoshiba was now in this form because at heart Mikoshiba was still 15 years old. "As I thought, I would have preferred to see Mikoshiba-kun growing up with my own eyes." 

"Fuck you for hiding so long. Why couldn't you come back early?!" 

"I'm sorry." 

"You fucking better be! You need to do better in the next world!"

"I will."

Machiko had something to tell Mikoshiba, "Brat, no... Kenta, I should have tried to talk to you more back then. Losing Michi, we were all hurt... But the pain you carried was a lot greater than ours. I didn't know what to say to you. So when you started hiding the pain, I pretend that you got over it and was okay. I wish I could have talked to you more." Machiko was not proud of herself. She regretted not doing more. She was afraid of over-stepping where she stood with the members of GokuLuck. She wished she could have had the courage to do more rather than letting everyone face the pain on their own when they pretend they were okay. If she was able to talk to them more, would grief be easier to handle? Not only for them but also for herself. Apologizing to Hancho and watching him walk on his own, Machiko couldn't help but wonder if the others were the same; all of them telling her they were okay when they're really not. "If there is a next time, I'll talk to you all more. Even if you find me annoying, I'll do my best too."

"...I prefer you chimping out." 

"You're such a little shit." 

Mikoshiba glanced down at the baby in Machiko's arms. 

"Do you want a closer look at the baby?" Machiko stepped a little closer to Mikoshiba. 

Mikoshiba's reaction was hesitant because he didn't know how to deal with babies. He didn't know what to do other than poke the baby's cheek. The baby's cheek was soft and it reminded him of whenever he poked Michiyo's cheek. He smiled a little, "In the next world, don't die. Don't make your mom and dad cry." 

When the baby cooed and grabbed his finger, it scared Mikoshiba because he didn't expect babies to have their own grip strength. "Uwah?!" In the midst of panic, he saw her. "Michiyo?!"

"Hee...?!" But Michiyo ran away?!

"Why are you running off?!" Mikoshiba ran after her!  

"Eh?! Michiyo-chan?! Why is she running away?!" Inukai looked back and forth! What should he do?! Chase after them but leave his wife and child?! 

But Machiko had a better idea! She passed their child to him and she chased after Mikoshiba and Michiyo!

"Eh?!" On top of that, the baby decided to cry in the arms of his dad. "W-wait, don't cry..." He could beg all he wanted, the baby decided to cry louder than before?! 

"Flowers for brain! Oi! Why are you running away?! Hey!" Mikoshiba couldn't believe how fast Michiyo could run?! He's running out of air! "Fuck... I can't run...! I'll kill her once I get my hands on her...!"

Machiko heard that and she did not appreciate it! She slapped the back of his head for that! "Kill Michi once you get your hands on her, will you?! I'll kill you for that, you stupid brat! I told you to exercise often! Your stamina is terrible!"

Mikoshiba realized the baby was no longer in Machiko's hold. "What the fuck- did you just abandon your child with the useless guard?! Some responsible mother you are!" 

"Fuck you! And Yuto is not useless! I left my child with their father! What the hell is your problem?!"

He had an idea in mind. It will be a painful one for him though. "You know what? I'm actually surprised. With all the chimping out you do, I would have thought you'd cause an uproar in the hospital because you birthed a baby gorilla instead of a human~!" 

"Why you little-!" Machiko strangled him! "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" 

"EH?!" Michiyo didn't hear what happened but she definitely heard Machiko shouting she will kill Mikoshiba! She ran back to them in order to stop them from fighting. "W-why are you both fighting?! Stop! Don't fight-" 

Mikoshiba caught her wrist! She's not going anywhere now. "Gotcha!" 

"Ah-?!" Michiyo realized she's caught!

"Ack! Stop strangling me already, you fucking gorilla!" But he was still being strangled! He used Machiko's short temper for him to shout out loud for Michiyo to turn around. If she's going to run away then he will make do with what he had to make her come to him. 

"Michi, why did you fall for this little shit?!" Machiko hugged Michiyo's head to herself! "He's the meanest! He's terrible in every aspect! He ranks 1st in worst boyfriend in the world! He deserves to be strangled!" 

"When you say it like that, I can see why you strangled him." Michiyo said against Machiko's boobs. Being in the warmth of Machiko's embrace made Michiyo weak. She no longer had the motivation to run away. "I'm caught..."

Machiko was certain she won't run. She moved out of the way to let Mikoshiba reunite with her properly. It made Machiko want to cry when she see the two of them look at one another- "YOU'RE FINALLY REUNITED WITH HER AND YOU PULL AT HER CHEEKS?!" 

"She made me run a fucking marathon!" Mikoshiba was not that kind to forget what Michiyo did just now. "The world is coming to a fucking end! I shouldn't have to run!" 

"Fuck you and your weak ass stamina!"

"Not everyone is like you and Inukai, you know?! You both go at it like freaking bunnies! Four rounds at the beach house 6 years ago! Did you two perform all of the positions in the Kama Sutra or something?!" 

Machiko was about to slap the back of his head again but she stopped when the sound of her baby crying grew louder and louder. Why was her husband crying along with the baby?! 

"Machiko-san, our baby won't stop crying~!" Inukai was crying like the baby and it made Machiko and Mikoshiba wonder who's the baby here?

"And how are you crying with the baby helping? Come here..." She meant the baby but if Inukai wanted comforting too, he was welcome too.

Mikoshiba rolled his eyes at them. Will they really be okay as parents? He looked at Michiyo and he sighed once before looking at her with a lot of seriousness. "Why did you run away?" He could see she won't answer him. When he noticed her looking down and avoiding eye contact, he could tell something was on her mind. "Do you not love me anymore?" 

She gasped when he asked her that. She looked at him in the eyes as if she was offended he would ever ask that. "You know I love you the most!" 

"Then why did you run away when you saw me?"

Michiyo was doing her best to hold in her tears. "It shouldn't be like this..."

"O-oi..." He couldn't understand why she's trying to push him away. 

"You shouldn't be here. You should be growing old and living your life to the fullest! I should be seeing you as an old man the next time I see you!" She's angry and sad because he's here and so was everyone else.

"Oh."

"Just oh?!"

"Flowers for brain, I didn't die. The world is coming to an end and it's restarting itself. Think of it like your game data had an error and you can't progress any further, and the only fix is resetting and start over. So come with me to start over-" 

"I don't want to." Michiyo refused him at point blank speed. She wasn't messing him around. She's serious. "If I go along with the whole reset, then that means I won't remember you. I don't want to forget you." She started to cry and she leaned her forehead against his chest. Michiyo hugged him because to her, her memories with him and everyone were the happiest. She didn't want it to all go away. "I don't have much good memories. I want to hold onto the memories we have together. The little things, the big things, things that makes us sad, and the things that made us happy, I want to remember all of it and cherish it. It's the only treasure I can take with me here."

When people die, other than the memories of when they were alive, they could not take anything with them. You come into this world with nothing but your life, and you leave the world with that very life...

"Idiot." He suddenly said to her.

"You're calling me names when I am really sad?!" She pulled away to look at him but she saw a small but gentle smile. She felt Mikoshiba press his forehead against hers. She could see he looked at peace.

"We're going to meet again. Even if the world resets itself, we will meet." 

"...but what if things change? Like resetting and you choose to play as Jill instead of Chris on the next playthrough! You're faster as Jill and have more inventory space, but you lose out on health and smaller hit box because you're no longer Chris!" 

"Why are you referencing Resident Evil all of a sudden? Heh, of course you will do that. But you do have a point for once." There's no way a reset will guarantee they will fall in love with one another. A very small change could change their feelings for one another drastically. "Then again, do you know what I am, Michiyo?" 

"A human." He swore if Machiko wasn't there in the background already painted a target on his back, he would have slapped the back of her head for that very obvious response. 

"No shit, Sherlock. I am not asking about that! I am a hacker! I don't play fair so in the next world, I will definitely get you to fall for me." 

Michiyo was touched when he said that to her. Will his promise at this very moment transcend over this world to the next one? "But what if you won't fall for me? And what if I fall for someone else?" These worries gnawed at her. She's scared of forgetting everything about him and unknowingly moving on to love someone else.

"You are my property. In this world, and no matter how many next worlds there are, you're mine. And if you fall for someone else, I'll just make you fall for me again."

"Haha... You make it sound so easy. Wait, what if you fall for someone else? What if you fall for Machi-" 

"DEFINITELY NOT!" This time, Machiko overheard and she said the very same thing as Mikoshiba.

"Flowers for brain, what the hell is wrong with you? Why would I fall for that wild gorilla?!" 

"Because Machi is pretty, kind, and beautiful."

"No, those are things you use to describe a human female. That thing is a gorilla so you don't use those words on her." 

"Do you want me to kick you into space?!" Machiko was this close to killing him on the spot! 

"Please don't fight you two!" Inukai carefully passed the baby to Machiko. He could only hope the baby will cute their way to keep Machiko's anger for Mikoshiba at bay! Inukai walked up to Michiyo and he smiled because he could finally see her alive and well. "Michiyo-chan, it's been a long time." 

"Yuto-san..." Michiyo was happy to see him. Seeing him and Machiko together felt like she had a father and mother figure. "I'm sorry I made you run away from everything."

Inukai shook his head, "It's not your fault at all. I was too cowardly and I made the wrong decision. I shouldn't have used you as an excuse to run away from the people I cherish. That's why... If the world resets, can I be the prison guard to watch you two grow up?"

Michiyo smiled happily and she agreed right away. "I think Shibaken would like that too." 

"Don't drag me with you!"

"Oh? But just earlier you were all emotional, Shibaken." Machiko teased before getting close to Michiyo, "Michi, look at my baby~." 

"Baby~! So cute~!!!" Michiyo carried Machiko's baby and she smiled and made funny faces to make the baby laugh.

"Right~?" Machiko knew Michiyo would love the baby. She wished in the next world, both Michiyo and her baby will be alive and well.

"Don't make fun of me and then divert the conversation to your brat!" Mikoshiba snapped at Machiko, prompting her to finally fight him. "What the- Inukai, the time for you to be a zookeeper has come!" 

"Uwah! Machiko-san!" 

"I'LL FUCKING END YOU!" 

From Michiyo's point of view, seeing Mikoshiba and Machiko bicker while Inukai try to stop them reminded her of the good days when she was still alive and well. The memories she had were important but she would give anything to live them instead instead of reminiscing about them. Michiyo returned the baby to Machiko and the woman went from super angry to super motherly in almost an instant.

"Machiko-san, let's give them some alone time."

Machiko pouted but she agreed. She'd like to spend the final moment of time with her husband and child. Everything will be okay. She will do whatever she could and hope for the best. She and Inukai walked on, no longer looking back.

Michiyo held Mikoshiba's hand and she felt him squeeze her hand. "Remember what you promised me, Kenta." 

"I lie a lot, but I won't lie about what I promise you."

And so the two of them walked towards the dazzling light. Michiyo was a little hesitant to keep going but when she remembered who was right by her side, she felt no fear. "Kenta?" 

"What?"

"I'll miss you." 

"I know you will."

"Kenta?" 

"Hm?"

"Are you happy?"

He remembered he asked her this question once. How did she answer again? He had his own answer though. "It's hell, but I met you. To me, there is a paradise. It's my very own hell's paradise." 

Hand in hand, the two head towards a complete reset...