As some time passed, Kentaro, Yura, and Serica found themselves back at the van where Shogo and Yumi had been posted up. The van itself sat in the quiet corner of a dimly lit parking lot, giving Kentaro a weird sense of being watched. When Kentaro slid open the side door, the sight before him made him chuckle: Yumi was slumped over the steering wheel, cheek pressed into the horn, but somehow she wasn't setting it off, while Shogo was sprawled across the floor like a corpse after a dramatic anime fight.

"Damn, they're wiped out," Kentaro muttered, grinning at Shogo's ridiculous sleeping face.

"Indeed… Look at Shogo," Yura said with a wicked grin. "I think we should feed him something, Something that will leave a bitter taste, hehehehe. That mouth is way too wide for his own good."

Serica crouched beside him, peering at Shogo like she'd just discovered a new species. She poked his cheek. "He really is out cold." Then she poked his nose. "Still out cold."

Kentaro couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Serica, poking Shogo like a baby discovering buttons on a toy, was weirdly wholesome.

"Just leave them be. Call it a reward," Tenka's voice came through the comms. "You three can head back to the ship via the door crossing in the hotel building you're staying in. We can sort everything out later. Going home should be our number one thing now."

"That works for us," Kentaro said, stepping out of the van and stretching. As his stretch reached its peak, he glanced up at the somewhat illuminated sky before asking, "How's Aria?"

"She's fine. Her tests came back clear. Everything is almost wrapped up, but you'll have to wait on the ship a bit longer. You can either take your time or, I don't know, sit around bored or find something else to do," Tenka said, her voice as flat and tired.

Kentaro couldn't help but chuckle. "Hey, Tenka, why don't you come down and explore some of Tokyo with us? It's been absolutely wild, from the people to the food!" He exclaimed, his excitement palpable.

Yura and Serica exchanged hopeful glances, eagerly waiting for Tenka's response.

But then Tenka spoke again, her tone softer than usual. "Sorry, I can't do that right now, though I'd love to in the future… With you, Kentaro."

"With me? Just the two of us?" Kentaro asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yeah, just us. There are so many places I've wanted to visit with you," she replied, a hint of warmth in her voice.

"Sure, but can't you come now?" He implored, a hint of desperation creeping in.

"Sorry again, but I can't. With everything going on with Aria and the whole Tokyo extravaganza, I'm buried in paperwork," Tenka said, a note of regret in her tone. She wished she could join them, but duty held her back.

Of course. Saving another Alberline meant even more forms, more headaches. If that girl ended up in his college too… Yeah, Tenka would be drowning in it.

"Oh, okay, I guess it can't be helped, but I'll hold you to this Tokyo trip then, don't forget, or I won't forgive you," Kentaro said with a smirk.

Tenka smiled as a slight blush crept on her face.

"Sure, Goober."

The line cut out, and of course, he gave the grave news to the girls, which made them sad, but they understood.

The three returned to the hotel. Yura and Serica quickly disappeared into the crossing to the ship, leaving Kentaro behind to grab their bags. He rode the elevator alone, the soft chime of generic hotel music filling the silence. Victory still hummed in his veins, yet Reiden's smirk would creep into his thoughts like a stain.

"How the hell are we supposed to deal with him…?"

The elevator doors opened with a ding. He stepped out, the plush carpet of the hallway muffling his steps. The air smelled faintly of polish and flowers, but something about the stillness pressed against his chest. Too quiet.

Kentaro shrugged it off at first and went to his room, packing up his things. He hadn't unpacked much anyway. Out of habit, he tidied up before leaving, his way of thanking the staff for letting them stay. Slinging his suitcase, he moved down the hall toward Serica and Yura's room to grab theirs.

His steps crunched faintly into the carpet. Each one echoed louder than it should have. The corridor stretched unnaturally long, and the silence seemed to crawl into his ears. His breathing grew heavier, not from the luggage but from something else. Something wrong.

By the time he reached the door, his pulse was already racing. He paused, palm hovering over the handle. There was a sound, faint, muffled, like something shifting on the other side.

Kentaro swallowed. "Why the hell does this feel like a horror movie…"

His heart pounded harder. "Crap… If there's something on the other side of this door, I swear I'm punching it."

The handle clicked beneath his grip. He pushed.

CREEEEAK.

The room opened to an unsettling sight: Serica's suitcase lying on the floor, Yura's tossed on the bed, half-zipped as though someone had been rifling through it.

"Crap. Crap!" Kentaro's gut twisted. Someone broke in!

"Hey Tenka, you there?" He softly whispered his voice, lingering with fear.

"...."

But of course, he got no answer.

"Damn out of time to go silent on me."

He stepped inside, scanning quickly. Out of the corner of his eye, something moved. His gaze locked on the bathroom door, just barely ajar. A shadow slid across the crack.

Every instinct screamed at him. His chest tightened as his legs dragged forward, each step deliberate, smaller and smaller, like he was buying himself time. His hand hovered over the bathroom handle. His breath slowed, his heart thundered.

With one sharp inhale, he yanked the door open wide.

The room was dark. Kentaro's pulse hammered against his chest, and before he could lose his nerve, or worse, get blindsided by some lurking intruder, he lunged forward and slapped the switch.

Light flooded the room.

And standing there, framed perfectly by the glow, was a girl.

Her hair was long and silver, parted down the middle with a few strands falling neatly across her face, the kind of style that looked like it belonged in some fantasy novel illustration. Her eyes, a striking shade of pink, glimmered awkwardly in the light. She was frozen in a pose, some ridiculous stance, half-heroic, half-idol, her fingers were near her eyes in a peace sign, the kind that only made sense if someone told you to do it. Her grin was wide, but Kentaro could tell immediately it was fake. More embarrassed than anything. Her shoulders twitched slightly like she regretted every decision that led her here.

Kentaro blinked.

"…"

Rin blinked back.

"…"

Then Kentaro's lungs exploded.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, RINNNN?!!"

Her body jolted, and she screamed right back.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

For a solid five seconds, the two of them just screamed in each other's faces like some unholy comedy skit.

When they finally ran out of air, both doubled over, catching their breath. Kentaro's face was twisted with pure confusion, while Rin's cheeks glowed a bright pink, mortification practically steaming off her.

She turned away, trying to compose herself. Then she spun back around, her posture suddenly perfect, her face painted with that trademark grin of hers, sharp, confident, like she hadn't just embarrassed herself into oblivion.

"Hello, dear Kentaro," she said smoothly, as if nothing at all had happened.

Kentaro staggered a step back. His mind screamed warnings at him: this was Rin. An Alberline. One wrong move, and she could end him instantly. He fumbled to touch his comms, desperate to call Tenka, but Rin blurred forward in a flash. Suddenly, her face was inches from his, so close he could feel her breath. With a casual smirk, she plucked the earpiece from his ear and crushed it between her fingers like candy glass.

"Wha-?!" Kentaro stumbled back, wide-eyed.

Rin's grin deepened. "Heheheh. We can't let anyone interfere now, can we, dear Kentaro?"

"B-but… Why are you here? And, wait, why the hell were you hiding in the toilet?!"

For a moment, Rin's cool façade cracked. Her cheeks reddened instantly. She crossed her arms with a sharp huff.

"Ahem. That was the only place I had time to hide, thank you very much. I thought you'd come back later."

Kentaro blinked at her. For just a second, she looked almost like a normal girl, standing there pouting. Then, just as quickly, she shifted back to her stoic, untouchable self.

Her voice softened. "Anyway. I've been watching you since we last met. At first, I thought it was fine to just keep my distance. To help here and there when it was convenient." She tilted her head, pink eyes glowing faintly. "But… After watching you laugh with Serica, Yura, and all the others… I realised something. I wanted to join in, too, even if it's only for the one time."

She straightened her back, her grin sharpened into something oddly serious. "So today, just today. It doesn't have to be long. I want a date from you."

Kentaro's brain short-circuited.

"WHA, WHAAT?!!"

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