Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Life sure is great.

These are the words Neku Sakuraba thought as he hung out with his dearest friends, especially after having not been able to see them for three years until a while ago. Sitting at Hachiko Café, he took a sip of his iced latte, involved in friendly chatter with his best friend Daisukenojo Bito (or Beat, as he insisted he be called), Beat’s sister Raimu (or Rhyme, as everyone called her) and his partner-slash-totally-not-girlfriend Shiki Misaki. But as they talked, everyone with a smile on their faces, Neku’s phone started to vibrate.

“Sorry.” Neku muttered as he dug up his phone from his pocket. Seeing the display, however, he frowned.

“Somethin’ de matter, Phones?” Beat inquired after seeing his friend’s expression change. “Why ain’t ya answerin’?”

“Well, it’s just that… it’s an unknown number, but I swear I’ve seen this number before.” Neku explained.

“Why don’t you answer?” Shiki suggested. “All your contacts got wiped when you were in Shinjuku, right? So it might be someone who you had saved on your old phone. If you recognize it, you should definitely answer.”

Neku hesitated. “I dunno… I’m here with you all right now… I don’t know if I-”

“It’s fine, we don’t mind.” Shiki smiled at him warmly. “Right?” She turned to Beat and Rhyme, both of whom nodded.

“Right!” Rhyme chirped happily. “Go ahead and answer before they hang up.” Rhyme smiled at Neku as well, and so did Beat, giving him a thumbs-up to signal his consent. Neku couldn’t help but smile back at his friends as well.

“Excuse me then.” Neku said as he raised the phone to his ear and tapped the green phone icon on his screen. “Hello? Sakuraba speaking.”

“Yo, Phones! Long time no talk! I was just about to hang up, glad you picked up at the last second!” The cheery chuckling voice of an older man was heard through the speaker, and Neku recognized him instantly.

“M-Mr. Hanekoma?!” Neku blurted out. This caused his friends to snap their eyes back towards him, as it was a name they all knew as well. “Why are you calling me? Are you back in Shibuya? In the RG?”

“You’re right on the money, Phones.” Hanekoma chuckled. “Café Wildkat is back in business!”

“That’s amazing! Oh, by the way, sorry I didn’t pick up sooner, I’m-”

“Oh, I know.” Hanekoma said, having a knowing smile while speaking on his phone. “You’re with Shiki, Beat and Rhyme right now, aren’t you?”

“Huh? How did-” Neku started, bewildered, before remembering something important about Hanekoma. “Oh, wait, that’s right. Producer powers?”

“Ahahahah!” Hanekoma laughed heartily in response. “You know me too well. But speaking honestly, I wouldn’t even have needed them. If you don’t pick up immediately, it means you’re probably doing something you’re very invested in. Like doing art at Udagawa… or spending time with Shiki.”

Neku glanced at Shiki at the mention of her name, only to blush at the implication and turn away from her immediately. “Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?” Neku responded, trying to tone down the nervousness in his voice as much as he could (and failing). His reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Shiki, who also looked away from him, slight blush coloring her cheeks. Beat scratched his neck in confusion, as he was totally clueless, but her sister giggled knowingly, clearly having an idea of what Hanekoma might’ve said.

“Relax, Phones! I’m just yanking your chain.” Hanekoma laughed again. “It’s only natural you’d want to spend as much time with her as you can. She did wait for you at Hachiko for three years, after all.”

Neku composed himself as he answered. “Right.”

However, another mischievous smile rose to the Producer’s face as he continued: “But I am genuinely surprised you two aren’t already officially dating. I mean, you’re perfect for one another, and she DID wait for you all that time, so-”

Neku’s face slowly turned completely red as Hanekoma spoke. “M-Mr. H!” He yelled into his phone, which caused the other three at the café to jump. Beat looked even more confused, Shiki tried to look anywhere but at Neku, blushing furiously and trying to use her hands to hide her blush, all while muttering ‘oh dear’ under her breath, and Rhyme held her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh, though a few giggles did escape her mouth.

Hanekoma on the other hand, had moved his ear away from the phone just before he shouted, having anticipated the response. Moving the phone back onto his ear, he laughed once more: “Sorry, sorry! You might’ve grown a lot during these past few years, but you’re still way too easy and fun to tease. But anyway, I didn’t call you just to embarrass you in front of your friends… and your totally-not-girlfriend.”

Neku, still fairly red, especially after that last comment, responded: “I’m just gonna let that last part slide. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, simply put, I want us to meet up. Here, at Wildkat. To catch up and stuff.” Hanekoma explained.

“Oh, really? Well, I don’t see why not. We can head over right now if-”

“Actually, there’s another reason why I’d like to meet up. I’d like to meet someone. Someone you befriended fairly recently. In fact, why don’t you bring the whole crew? I’ll have the café closed when you come.”

“Someone I befriended? The whole crew?” Neku made a puzzled face, until he shortly realized who he was referring to. “Oh! You mean-”

Hanekoma smirked as he heard Neku’s realization. “I knew you’d catch on, Neku. I'd like to meet the Wicked Twisters.”

Chapter Text

Rindo Kanade walked around the Shibuya Scramble, hunting for monsters in FanGO. He had made plans to meet with his friend Tosai Furesawa (or Fret as everyone called him) later at the 104 building, so he was using his excess time to try and find some rare monsters in-game. As he caught a Tincut, he got a message through the game’s messaging app. It was another dear friend of his, and also an avid FanGO player, Shoka Sakurane.

Shoka:
oh rindoooo
where you at?

Rindo: at the xing
just catching some monsters while i wait for fret

Shoka:
oh u guys already have plans?

Rindo:
yea there was this new game he wanted to check out
its the new ff game
u heard of it?

Shoka:
ohh u mean stranger of paradise?
the one with the dude who really wants to kill chaos?

Rindo:
lol
yea thats the one

Shoka:
omg
i didnt think fret would be into that
the game seems like such a meme

Rindo:
well yeah i can see what u mean
but the gameplay is actually really cool from what i heard
its a bit like dark souls apparently

Shoka:
i c
actually i remember hearing smth similar now that u mention it
so i guess u could say its

Rindo:
shoka no

Shoka:
THE DARK SOULS OF FINAL FANTASY

Rindo cringed internally at Shoka's obvious joke, but in reality he was having a lot of fun just screwing around with her in text. They had technically been friends for three years, since she had also been his online friend Swallow, but it was only until they met in real life (and through their experiences in the Reaper's Game) that they grew as close as they had. In fact, Rindo had a massive crush on the cat-hoodied girl, not that he'd ever admit to it if questioned.

He sent a stfu sticker in response, to which Shoka responded with a sticker of her own, one with Cait Sith blowing a raspberry.

Shoka:
well anyway
i was going to ask if u wanted swing by tipsy those hall to help me get some new monsters
but ur already on with fret soo

Rindo:
wanna join us?
im sure fret wouldnt mind if u come

Shoka:
yeah
but im not really all that interested tbh :/
i was never all that much into souls likes
i might pick it up later since i do like ff and the memey nature of it could be fun
but i think i'll wait for a price drop
so i think just gonna keep catching monsters over here
thx for the offer doe :)

Rindo:
oh okay
thats a shame

Shoka:
what, u disappointed?
i guess i could come then…
for u ;)

Rindo went completely red at her last message. He knew in his mind she was just teasing him, but he still furiously typed a response before she would get the wrong idea.

Rindo:
ddont get wrong idea!
i just u know more the merrier?

Shoka:
wow, stuttering over text?
now thats precious <3
ok now im definitely coming
stay put, rindragon! ;)

Rindo tried to deflect her responses before they came in, but it was too late before he came up with something cohesive (or legible). He sighed, pulling his mask over his mouth to hide his reddened cheeks from no one in particular.

“Great. Now I’m gonna have to withstand teasing from both Shoka AND Fret.” Rindo thought, shoving his hands in his hoodie’s pockets. For a moment, he thought about not “staying put”, as Shoka had put it, but he felt like that would only make things worse later. “Well, at least I got her to come… though not in the way I would’ve wanted to…”

The boy sighed again, now letting his back lean against a nearby wall. He looked up at the sky, thinking about how he could avoid Shoka's incoming onslaught… but just then, he felt his phone vibrate once more. Hoping it'd be Shoka saying 'nah jk' or even Fret canceling their plans so that he'd have an excuse to go home or… literally anywhere else, he pulled out his phone. But to his surprise, it was neither of them. The message came from one Neku Sakuraba, the Legendary Player who had helped them during the final week of the Reaper's Game.

Neku:
Hi Rindo
What are u doing rn?

Rindo:
uhh just waiting for fret to show up at the crossing
and shoka too i guess
what's up?

Neku:
U guys are getting together? Wow that's perfect
Would u happen to have time to join us?

Rindo:
us?

Neku:
Oh right
I mean me, Beat, Shiki and Rhyme
At a cafe on Cat Street
It doesn't have to be right now ofc
Just give us a time if ur up for it
There's someone who'd like to meet u guys

Rindo:
huh? who?

Neku:
It's kind of a long story
But he's someone related to the Game
And dont worry he doesnt wanna drag u back in or anything lol
And we're planning to catch up too so itd be nice if all of us could hang in general

Rindo didn't really know how to respond. "There's someone who wants to meet us? Someone related to the Game?" The blonde pondered the older boy's words. "I mean, I'd love to hang out with Neku and the others… but I would really not like to talk about the Game ever again if I can help it… hmm."

Rindo:
do they wanna talk about the reapers game or…?

Neku:
Maybe?
Honestly it sounded to me that he just really wanted to meet u guys
And have a chat over some coffee and stuff
Dont worry, I know the guy well
U can trust him
There's no guarantee he wont ask about the Game at all
But I think it wont be the only thing we’ll talk about

"Hmm… if Neku trusts him, I guess it's fine." Rindo pondered out loud. "And if they don't wanna just talk about the Game, that's even better! Plus, if I accept, it might just get me out of my current predicament…"

Rindo:
ok then, im game
ill ask fret and shoka to come too
ill message u when we're coming

Neku:
Great!
Oh and send word to Nagi too
He asked for the Wicked Twisters, so that includes her as well
We'll wait for u in front of Tower Records!

Rindo sighed in relief as he pocketed his phone. "Phew, crisis averted. …Maybe."

"And just what is this crisis you're referring to, dum-dum?"

Rindo jumped at the voice coming from right behind him. It was Shoka, who had made her way to the Crossing from Tipsy Tose Hall, smiling smugly with her arms crossed.

"Sh-Shoka!" Rindo exclaimed nervously. "H-How long have you been standing there?"

"From around the time you muttered something about getting out of your 'current predicament'." Shoka answered, her expression getting more and more mischievous.

"I said that out loud?!" Rindo panicked internally.

"Look, sweetie," Shoka grinned, adding a very clear stress on the word 'sweetie', "you won't be able to distract me with something like that. Not when you're so obviously desperate for my company." Shoka stepped closer to her friend, who was already starting to blush. "And look, Rindragon, looks like your good friend Tosai isn't here yet. So it's just the two of us. Want me to jump into your arms? Or maybe give a little peck on your… lips?"

Shoka blinked innocently as she popped her tongue on that last word. Rindo wished he could pull his mask all over his head right now, he was sure his entire face was beet-red. He quickly turned away from her to try and salvage what little dignity he had left, but before he did, he could’ve sworn he saw a slight blush on Shoka’s cheeks as well… like she didn’t mean to add that last part about kissing him on the lips. But he didn’t want to risk possibly losing even more face in front of her, so he didn’t press the issue.

”Aww. It’s so cute when you get all flustered and can’t talk back.” Shoka posed confidently, like she’d just won a hard-fought argument. ”But anyway… who’s this friend of Neku’s who wants to meet up with us? Seems kind of shady if you ask me.”

Noting that Shoka was ready to move on from teasing him, Rindo composed himself. ”I don’t entirely disagree with you… but Neku said we can trust him. And I don’t think he would say that without good reason.” Becoming conscious that he basically made the decision for all of them, he added slightly panickedly: ”B-But if you’d rather pass on it, I won’t force you or anything! A-And the same goes for Fret and Nagi.”

”Aww, another adorable Rindo trademark.” Shoka chuckled. ”Getting panicked after making decisions.”

Rindo tried his all to stop the blush creeping back to his face. ”I’m serious, though. If the rest of you don’t want to come, it’s fine. I’ll just tell Neku-”

”Let me stop you right there.” Shoka raised her hand to stop Rindo from talking. ”He asked for the Wicked Twisters, right? Which means we follow you, O Fearless Leader.” Her tone of voice was jokey, but her smile was warm and genuine. ”And tee bee age, I’m kinda curious myself who this dude could be. So don’t worry, I’m coming too.”

Rindo’s mouth was slightly agape from everything she said, but his mouth soon morphed to a smile. He then opened his mouth to talk, when-

”’Sup, Rindude?”

Rindo jumped at the sudden, but familiar voice behind him. It was his best friend Fret. ”Fret?! What are you doing here?”

”Uhhh… we were supposed to meet up, right?” Fret looked puzzled from Rindo’s jumpiness.

”Oh, r-right. Wait, no, that’s not what I meant.” Rindo shook his head. ”What are you doing here? We were supposed to meet at 104.”

”Well, I was actually going there, but then I saw you from a distance… annnnnd here we are.” Fret explained.

”Oh. O-Okay. That makes sense.” Rindo still looked a bit spooked from his friend’s sudden appearance when he was having a moment with Shoka. ”Oh no, Sho-”

”Hi there, Fret!” Rindo’s thought came to him too late. Shoka greeted his friend and Fret’s face understandably turned to that of surprise.

”Shokie? You’re here too?” Fret’s initial shock wore off quickly though, and he soon had a more thoughtful look.

”Shit! Fret, please, PLEASE don’t get the wrong-”

”Dang Rindude, who would’ve thought you’d be making a move on Shokie right before our meetup!” Fret said, a big smile plastered all over his face.

”Excuse me?” Shoka looked genuinely surprised.

”N-No! That’s not what this is!” Rindo was already in full panic mode. ”Sh-She just messaged me and told me she’d be coming here, that’s all. It's just a coincidence!”

”Uh-huh.” Fret said, still with a smile on his face.

”Ohhh. Now I get it.” The mischievous smile from before had returned to Shoka’s face. She was absolutely going to tease Rindo again. ”So that’s why you wanted me to come here. To have a little alone time with little ol’ me.”

”Wait, he asked you to come, Shokie? That’s not what you said, Rindude!” Fret elbowed his friend teasingly. Rindo wanted the earth to swallow him up.

”Oh yeah. He said it would be ’such a shame’ when I shot him down at first, but after he begged some, I saw it fit to come after all.” Shoka said dramatically.

”You begged her to come, Rindude?” Fret chuckled.

”NO!” Rindo spat, face as red as a tomato once again. ”Urgh, this is exactly what I didn’t want to happen!”

After sharing a laugh with Fret, Shoka turned to Rindo with a smile. ”Alright, I think that’s enough torment. You know we’re just yanking your chain, right Rindo?”

”Yeah… doesn’t make it any less embarrassing, though.” Rindo responded dryly.

Shoka giggled. ”Sorry, ’bro’, you just make it too easy.”

Fret, however, looked a bit puzzled. ”Wait, we were just kidding around?”

”Duh. Don’t tell me you actually want to ridicule your best friend like that?” Shoka raised an eyebrow at the lanky boy.

”N-No, of course not! It’s just… he didn’t really try to make a move on you? Like ask you out or something?” Fret explained, to which Shoka reacted immediately.

”W-What are you talking about?! I mean sure, some of the stuff I said did happen, but it was mostly just a hyperbole-” Shoka’s eyes widened and she froze. She tilted her head a bit so that her hood would cover her face more.

”Shokie?” Fret inquired when the girl fell silent.

Slowly, she turned around to face Rindo, her face completely red. ”Rindo?”

Rindo, who was still slightly flushed from the previous teasing, was afraid of whatever Shoka was going to say and gulped. “Y-Yes?”

“You didn’t actually- I-I mean- The reason you asked me to come before Fret got here… It wasn’t because you wanted to… mh.” Shoka couldn’t bring herself to finish and pulled her hood further over her head.

Rindo, however, already had an idea of what she was going to say. “Wait, no! No-no-no-no! Fret’s got the wrong idea! I just wanted to hang out with you, and I swear that’s the truth!”

Shoka looked Rindo in the eye. She couldn’t say anything for a few seconds, but once she processed what Rindo said, she breathed a big sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. I’m just gonna… take a breather for a bit. Sorry, guys.” Shoka sat on a nearby bench, breathing in and out, trying to compose herself.

Rindo had recovered as well, but now he looked more thoughtful. “Wait, why was she so relieved? …Is- is the thought of going out on a date with me that repulsive to her or something? I… I really hope not…”

However, he could not be farther from the truth, as Shoka’s thoughts were racing just as much about him as his were about her. “Oh my god. You sure dodged a bullet there, Shoka. Imagine if he actually was going to ask me out. I would’ve ridiculed him over it… and then he’d surely never want to hang out with me again! Why am I like this?! I should just tell him that I like him, but… argh!” Shoka pulled her hood over her head, thinking about the embarrassment she’d have if she confessed her crush to Rindo.

“Well, that was awkward…” Fret spoke up, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry about that. I guess I jumped the gun again.”

Rindo snapped out of his thoughts as Fret apologized to him. “Ah, it’s okay. Honestly, I kinda expected this… though definitely not to this extent.”

“Hey, is everything alright, Rindude? You look a little… down all of a sudden.” Fret asked, his voice now filled with genuine concern for his friend.

“Oh… it’s- it’s nothing.” The thought of Shoka possibly hating the thought of going on a date with him weighed on his mind, but he tried to push it back. “Let’s… let’s just move on, okay?”

“...Alright, if you say so. But just remember, I’m always willing to listen if you have something on your mind. You know that, right Rindo?” Fret smiled warmly at his best friend.

And Rindo, as bad as he felt, found himself smiling back. “Yeah. Thanks, Fret. I don’t… really wanna talk about it though. Just… give me time.”

Fret winked at him playfully. “Alright. I gotcha, Rindude! But just drop me a line and I’ll be there, ‘kay?” He then hit his fist on his open hand, as if he remembered something. “Oh, and speaking of dropping lines, what were you and Shokie talking about then, if not… y’know?”

“Oh, right!” Rindo remembered Neku’s request. “So there’s this friend of Neku’s who knows about the Reaper’s Game. And apparently they want to meet the Wicked Twisters somewhere on Cat Street? I already agreed to it, but-”

“Ooh, sounds neat. So when are we meeting up?”

“Wait, what?!” Rindo looked genuinely bewildered at Fret’s nonchalant reaction. “You’re just agreeing to it, just like that? I hadn’t even finished explaining yet!”

“Well, of course I am. If you’re going, then I’m going too. Especially if they requested me as well. And any friend of Neku’s is a friend of mine for sure! …Well, I don’t know about that Joshua guy, but it seemed he and Neku had some pretty complex history, so that’s different.”

Rindo was speechless. He didn’t know what to say. “Why am I still like this? Why do I doubt my friends so much? I mean, I can’t expect them to agree with everything I tell them… but still. Both Shoka and Fret agreed to it really easily… and I don’t think Nagi would say no either unless she already has plans.”

“Hello? Earth to Rindude? When are we going?” Fret playfully knocked his friend on the head to make sure someone was still there.

“Ah! S-Sorry. Got lost in thought. What did you say?” Rindo looked at his friend, it looked like he had pulled out his phone.

“I’m messaging Boss, Rindude!” He shoved his phone in front of Rindo’s face, and sure enough, there was a message log with Nagi on the screen. “When are we going?”

Fret:
yo boss!!

Nagi:
Lord Tosai? Is there something you need?

Fret:
well its just that apparently this friend of nekus wants to meet up with the wicked twisters
at cat street i think?
rindo already agreed to it
so i thought id ask u to make sure if u have any plans or not
are u still in class?

Nagi:
No, actually. I just got out.
But, a friend of Master Neku’s, you say? ‘Tis has piqued my interest.
When are we meeting up, exactly? I’m free for the rest of the day.

Fret:
uhhhh let me ask rindude

Seeing Nagi’s response, Rindo smiled.

“Sorry about that, guys.” Shoka walked over to the two boys before Rindo could answer Fret’s question. She cleared her throat before she started again. “Listen, Rindo, I-”

“No, it’s fine. I get it. We don’t need to talk about that anymore.” Rindo gave her an awkward smile. The issue with her opinion on dating him still plagued his mind, but he trusted Shoka. He couldn’t be sure, of course, and that was still bothering him greatly, but he couldn’t assume the worst about her reaction just because of his own low view of himself.

“Y-You do? Well, g-good!” Shoka gave him an awkward smile of her own in return.

“Ahem.” Fret tapped his foot, still holding out his phone. “If you guys are done with your ‘will they or won’t they’ routine, I’d like to know when and where are we meeting up with Neku and his friend?”

Both Rindo and Shoka flushed a bit at that. “Sorry, Fret. I completely forgot!” Shoka’s smile was now accompanied by awkward laughter.

“Yeah, sorry.” Rindo made an apologetic gesture with his hand. “Actually, we’re meeting with Neku, Shiki, Beat and Rhyme in front of Tower Records first.”

“Ohh, alright. And from there we go to Cat Street?” Fret asked while typing a response to Nagi.

“Yeah, something like that, probably.” Rindo answered. He glanced at Shoka, who still seemed a little bit out of it. “You okay, Shoka? You still wanna come to meet Neku’s friend?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah, of course. I already said I would, dummy.” And just like that, she was back to her normal self. It looked to Rindo like something was still bothering her a bit, but he decided not push it.

“Alright! Boss says she’ll be heading straight to Tower Records.” Fret exclaimed. He put his phone away and assumed some kind of running stance. “Let’s get going!”

“Hold on, Fret. What about that video game we were going to check out? Neku told me we don’t have to go right away, so…”

“Oh right, the Chaos-slaying simulator! But nah, I can live for one day without it!” Fret responded to Rindo’s inquiry with glee. “But we have to go tomorrow to make up for it, Rindude! And you’re coming too, Shokie!”

“Huh?! O-Okay. Sure, whatever.” Shoka was clearly taken aback by Fret’s outburst, but tried to keep herself all cool and aloof.

Rindo, on the other hand, just smiled and said: “Okay then. But before we go…” He pulled out his phone from his pocket. “I’ll give Neku a heads-up that we’re coming.”

“Alrighty, Rindykins. We’ll go on ahead.” Shoka said, seemingly completely back to her usual teasing self now. Rindo turned to his phone and picked Neku’s contact.

Rindo:
we’re on our way
nagis coming separately
but she said shed be there

Neku:
Nice!
We’re at MODI right now, so we’ll be there in a bit too
See u there!

With that, Rindo pocketed his phone, finding that he too was growing curious about this friend of Neku’s.

Chapter Text

A group of eight people was heading down Cat Street. This group, of course, was the Wicked Twisters, along with two of Neku and Beat’s female friends, Shiki and Rhyme. They were heading towards the café Wildkat, which had reopened its doors only a couple of days ago.

"Oh wow, do you smell that?" Shoka noted as they walked by the Jupiter of the Monkey store. "It's the smell of fresh coffee!"

"Hmm, I must agree with you, Lady Shoka." Nagi added. "I could never mistake this smell. After all, I can never get going in the morning without a cup."

"That must be Mr. H." Neku said. "He did say he was going to fix us some."

"Mr. H? Wait, you've mentioned him before, I think." Rindo pointed out.

"Yeah. I think I might have." Neku walked over to the right side of the crossroad and stopped in front of one establishment. "And here we are."

"Wait!" Fret shouted. "This is where we met with the Little Miss Reaper! Coco, I think?"

"Yup, this is the same place. Let's head in." Neku took no time at all to waltz right in. He must've really wanted to see this 'Mr. H', Rindo thought.

And as if on cue, Beat also chimed in: "Man, I can't wait to see Mr. H and his cheap-ass donuts!"

Shiki and Rhyme both giggled, and walked in after the black-hoodied youth.

"After you." Rindo addressed Nagi and Shoka.

"Wow, and they say chivalry is dead." Shoka snarked.

"Thank you most kindly, Lord Rindo." Nagi smiled at her younger blonde friend.

As the four stepped in, the aroma of coffee got ever stronger. Neku and the others were already talking to someone, a man who looked to be in his thirties, presumably the 'Mr. H' they had come to meet.

"Ah, there you are!" The man noticed the four standing at the entrance and walked over to them. "You must be the Wicked Twisters."

Taking a closer look at him, Rindo noticed he wore a black barista uniform and a pair of sunglasses. Not just that, but he had an unkempt short beard and a somewhat spiky head of black hair.

“So, you’re the one who wanted to see us, Mister…?” Fret stepped forward to greet the older man.

“Hanekoma. Sanae Hanekoma.” The man introduced himself very casually, keeping one hand on his neck and the other in his pocket. “I run this little café here, among other things. A pleasure to finally meet you all. Rindo Kanade. Tosai Furesawa. Nagi Usui. And last but not least, Shoka Sakurane.”

All four of them had a look of surprise on their faces as he effortlessly listed all their names. Rindo could see Neku and the others smiling in the back, keeping their eyes on the older man, like they knew something the Twisters didn’t.

“I guess since you know about the Reaper’s Game, it’s not that surprising you’d know all our names.” Rindo pointed out.

“Oh, I know a lot more than just that.” Hanekoma said, with a mischievous glint in his eye. Rindo took a step back, almost subconsciously. “For example, I know that Miss Sakurane here is obviously a die-hard fan of the Gatto Nero brand, but sometimes she also indulges in the products of Top-”

“Ooookay! I think you got your point across, mister coffee man.” Shoka interrupted him, a clear blush of embarrassment staining her cheeks. Everyone looked at Shoka in surprise.

After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, Hanekoma broke it with a hearty laugh. “Sorry about that, Kitty Girl! I was just yanking your chain, I don’t actually know any of those things.” The Wicked Twisters were somehow even more surprised now, least of all Shoka. “Though I didn’t expect you to get so defensive. Perhaps I was right on the money, hmm?”

Hanekoma put a hand to his chin and raised an eyebrow in Shoka’s direction. “‘Tis appears to have been a bluff.” Nagi pointed out, frowning in thought. Realizing this, Shoka pulled her head into her hood. Meanwhile, Rindo and Fret shared an awkward look. In the corner of his eye, Rindo could see Neku with a knowing smile, telling him that this was something Hanekoma did a lot.

"But anyway, do feel free to take a seat." Hanekoma returned to his slightly more professional persona. "And in case you're wondering, I won't be forcing the topic of the Game on you unless you want to talk about something related to it."

The Twisters, including Shoka, who had recovered slightly from her embarrassing outburst, were taken aback by his sudden compassion.

"I know what happened to you during those three weeks, and they must have been incredibly hard on you. So I understand completely if you'd like to avoid that topic." Hanekoma rubbed his neck as he continued: "I genuinely just want to get to know you guys. Neku and Beat have told me a lot about you, and I do know some things through the Game. But I can only truly know you by allowing you to enter my world. Or meeting you in person and talking to you, so to speak."

As the man finished, the four youngsters found themselves smiling. ”You know, that first impression took me a bit off-guard… but I can see you’re a cool guy.” Fret spoke up. ”And trust me, I’m an excellent judge of character!”

”Why thank you, Tosai.” Hanekoma smiled back at the currently grinning young man. ”Or would you prefer if I called you Fret?”

Fret made his trademark thinking face. ”I mean, I don’t really have a preference, per se… but all my friends call me that, so go on ahead!”

”Very well then, Fret.” Hanekoma gave him another friendly smile.

”Yo, Mr. H!” Beat shouted from the back, having already sat down with Rhyme. ”Can’t we get sum service around here, yo!?”

”I second that, Mr. H.” Rhyme parroted. ”You’re being totally rude right now.” The smaller girl giggled, overplaying her words of complaint.

”You’re right. It’s about time we sat down.” Hanekoma walked over to the table and beckoned the Twisters to come too.

As the three teenagers and the college girl Nagi sat down, Rindo started to think about the café owner who they had just interacted with: ”This guy is really weird… I don’t really know what to think of him. On one hand, he seems shady as hell and tries getting reactions out of people at their own expense. But like Fret said, he seems cool… he even considered our feelings when it came to the Reaper’s Game. And he has this, I don’t know, aura that makes me wanna talk to him more. Like… he’s seen it all, and he has an answer no matter what you ask him. I can see why Neku holds him in such a high regard, at least. ”

“Alright, everyone!” Hanekoma slammed a coffee pot full of the black liquid on the table, snapping Rindo out of his thoughts. The smell of coffee invaded his nose at full force, the pot must have been freshly made. “This pot of coffee… is on the house.”

Rindo raised an eyebrow; why did he say that like it was a big announcement or something? But looking over at Neku and his friends, he got his answer. All four of them had a clear look of shock on their faces. The Wicked Twisters gave each other a confused look, but it was then when Hanekoma spoke up once more: “But, any refills coming outside of this pot… are available at the café’s normal prices.”

Now it was the Twisters’ turn to look shocked. Neku, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and smiled knowingly.

“Of course…” Shiki muttered, sighing disappointedly.

“Man, I don’ even like black coffee!” Beat scratched the back of his head. Rhyme sighed and nodded along to his brother.

The Twisters shared another look, each with an expression that said “Really?” loud and clear. But eventually, they shrugged it off and sat down with the others, while Hanekoma kept smiling like he had just told a great joke.

“And apparently, he’s also a cheapskate. ” Rindo thought as he looked at the older man.

The group of nine, now gathered around the table with their drinks, were having a great time conversing. Thankfully, adding condiments to the coffee didn’t require any extra payments, so Rindo, Nagi, Beat and Rhyme were able to have their coffee just the way they liked it with varying levels of cream and sugar for each. But the drinks and Hanekoma’s ”earning policies” were the furthest thing from the group’s mind right now. They were having a blast together, talking about all sorts of things about their lives, interests and all the happenings around the city, big and small.

At first, the conversation was mostly between Neku’s group and Hanekoma, who were catching up on three years of lost time, with one of the Twisters chiming in every now and then. But as the talking continued, the youngsters became more comfortable with the atmosphere as well as their proprietor Hanekoma, and started to share their own anecdotes as well. The group even brought up the topic of the Reaper’s Game once or twice, but no one felt like they were being coerced into talking about it. Rindo started to fully understand why Neku trusted Hanekoma so much; he had a lot of charisma and an ability to make people open up to him by finding just the right words to say. Simply put, he was wise, and Rindo could feel the years of experience under his belt, which made Rindo think he was probably older than he looked.

"...and that's how I became the Justice Burger Champion for three seasons in a row." Fret finished explaining his story about entering and winning an eating competition at Justice Burger.

"Wow, you really do eat anything." Shoka said, chuckling.

"But ya gotta wonder. Where do all that food go, yo?" Beat asked, clearly invested in Fret's tale. "I mean, you's real scrawny an' all."

"That's a secret." Fret winked. "Also, I wouldn't say I'm scrawny. I think svelte is more appropriate."

"That sounds more like a case of to-may-to, to-mah-to to me." Rindo laughed.

”It’s all about the image, Rindude!” Fret insisted. ”Someone being ’scrawny’ and someone being ’svelte’ create two completely different mental images!”

”...I don’ really get it.” Beat admitted after a moment of pondering.

”It’s ok, Beat.” Shiki consoled him and giggled. ”I don’t think anyone here really gets it.”

”Hey come on, I’m totally right! Right, Boss?” Fret turned to his bespectacled friend, trying to get someone to back him up.

”I apologize for Lord Tosai’s nonsensical rambling, Sir Hanekoma.” Nagi turned to their host, playing up her apologeticness. ”But rest assured, the rest of us had no input on his words.” She added coldly.

”Don’t just throw me under the bus!” Fret cried out, fake tears staining his cheeks. Hanekoma just laughed, and it soon spread to the others as well, with everyone getting a hearty laugh from the situation.

”Speaking of image,” Hanekoma started after catching his breath from laughing, ”I haven’t mentioned it until now, but I really dig your new style, Phones. It fits the new you.”

”Thanks, but I can’t take the credit.” Neku admitted bashfully. ”Coco was the one who picked it out for me when I was still in Shinjuku. I didn’t even know what Gatto Nero was until I came back to Shibuya.”

”She has good taste!” Shiki chimed in. ”In fact, when I designed that jacket you wear, I thought about what it would look like… on you...” Realizing how embarrassing her words were, she quickly took a sip of her coffee.

”Is that so?” Hanekoma said, smiling knowingly. ”Hear that, Phones? She designed something just for you… so that you could grow out of Jupes.”

”Huh?! That was the reason?!” Neku looked genuinely bewildered.

”N-No, of course not!” Shiki added hurriedly. ”...Well, okay, maybe that was a part of it, but that wasn’t the only reason. I just… wanted to design something that I thought would fit you. And when you’d come back, you could wear it… a jacket from the brand I created with Eri.” Shiki averted her gaze from Neku, dragging her foot nervously across the floor.

”Shiki…” Neku looked at the girl next to her, and couldn’t help but feel warm.

”O. Em. Gee.” Shoka whispered to herself, her mouth agape. ”How are these two not dating yet?”

Unfortunately for Shoka, (as well as Neku and Shiki) Hanekoma’s ears picked up the cat-hoodied girl’s mutterings. ”How are they not dating, indeed.” Hanekoma parroted, eliciting a blush from the young totally-not-couple and causing Shoka to cover her mouth. “An excellent question, Kitty Girl. I do often wonder what’s stopping these two from making it official, I mean, everyone can see it-”

”P-Please stop, Mr. H.” Shiki interjected, her cheeks burning red. ”It’s not like that…”

Hanekoma sighed. ”If you say so… but on that topic, what do you think, Wicked Twisters? Wouldn’t Phones and Shiki here make a great couple?”

”Huh?! You’re asking us?” Rindo exclaimed.

”We are not talking about this, Mr. H.” Neku said, completely unamused, though Rindo could see his face was still flushed.

“Okay, okay, sorry Phones. I know when to stop the teasing.” Hanekoma waved his hand in surrender, but something told Rindo he hadn’t given up on the idea of teasing the two completely.

“Actually,” Rindo spoke up. “I have a question, Mr. Hanekoma. About you and Neku.”

“Wait, ME and Neku?” Hanekoma said, feigning great surprise in his voice. “Oh, I assure you, our relationship is-”

“No, I didn’t mean anything like that. I meant like… well, why do you keep calling him ‘Phones’? Actually, Beat calls him that sometimes too. But why? I don’t really get it.”

“Ah yes, Phones’s dark backstory.” Hanekoma reminisced. “You see, Neku here used to be quite different from what he was now.”

“Oh yeah, I remember Beat and Shiki mentioned something like that!” Fret jumped in remembrance. “Like, you used to be a huge loner and stuff?”

“Well… yeah. I won’t deny it.” Neku admitted. “Before I entered the Reapers’ Game, I used to shut out the world around me. To keep everyone around me at arm’s length… or even farther, if at all possible. But meeting Shiki, Beat, Rhyme, Joshua and Mr. H made me change my perspective a lot. I picked up on a lot of things thanks to them.” Neku looked at the ceiling, his mind going back to the past. “It’s too bad we met under the Game’s circumstances… but at the same time, I don’t know if we would’ve ever met if it wasn’t for that. Funny how that works.”

Rindo glanced at Shoka when he said that; he knew exactly what he meant. The Game was undoubtedly horrible, but if it wasn’t for those circumstances, he’d never have met Swallow, aka Shoka. And the same went for Nagi, Neku and Beat.

“But you wanted to know why I call him Phones, right?” Hanekoma broke the silence left by Neku’s little speech. “Well, it’s simple, really. Three years ago, he used to wear these massive headphones to really complete his loner look.”

“Ohh yea, dat’s right! I remember now!” Beat shouted.

“Wait, you mean… you forgot?” Rhyme looked at his brother in disbelief, to which he could only rub his neck and laugh awkwardly.

"I have a hard time imagining you like that, though." Shoka said.

"I must concur with Lady Shoka." Nagi nodded. "You are a very pleasant individual, Master Neku. I cannot fathom how you could've been acting like that in the past."

"I'm glad to hear that." Neku smiled.

"But every word is 100% true." Shiki added in. "Seriously, you could not believe how much of a pain he was!"

"C-C'mon. I wasn't THAT bad, right?" Neku said nervously.

"Oh, yes you were!" Shiki retaliated. "It took you until the sixth day until you started treating me like a person!"

"Okay, well, yeah, I might've been that bad. Like, really, really bad." Neku surrendered. “But we still became friends despite all that. And it’s not like you’re completely spotless either, Ms. ‘I stole my best friend’s appearance and personality’.”

Shiki’s eyes widened at that, and the Twisters all confusedly tilted their heads in sync. “Oh, that’s it. Get ready, Neku, because I’m done holding back.”

“Huh?!” Neku said, some kind of panic present in his eyes. “Shiki, what are you-”

Shiki took hold of her Mr. Mew plush and started making scratch motions with its hands. “Mr. Mew Attack!” She lunged towards Neku, using the Mr. Mew plush to “attack” the young man.

“Ah! Shiki, stop! That tickles!” Neku held his arms up in his defense.

The Twisters looked at the spectacle in front of them in equal parts amusement and confusion.

”You were right, Shokie.” Fret whispered to the girl next to him. ”How are these two not together?”

After the episode was over and Hanekoma grilled the two lovebirds some more, the chatting continued on like normal. Somehow, after Neku’s opening up about his ”former self”, everyone else started to open up too. The conversations took a bit of a more serious turn because of that, but everyone still felt comfortable and were glad to hear what was on the others’ minds. Fret talked about his grief of losing Kanon and how her influence changed him for the better, Nagi shared how she had become closer with some of her roommates at the college dorm thanks to her time with the Wicked Twisters, and Shoka talked about her trials and tribulations of getting used to life in the RG again, but ultimately settling well (thanks in big part to all her friends, not that she’d admit it). Even Beat opened up about his genuine worries for Rhyme and his own future, for which Rhyme and Shiki gave him some much-needed comfort. The only one who didn’t really open up was Rindo; they did talk about An0ther and his whole impact on the boy, but nothing really beyond what everyone already knew. This was because his mind was now occupied with something else, namely the black-kitty-hoodie-clad girl sitting beside him.

As much as he wanted to avoid it, the topic of Neku and Shiki dating as well as Shoka opening up the way she did brought his mind back to earlier today, to the whole misunderstanding the two had with Fret. Listening to her talk about her appreciation for everyone’s support made him think that she probably thought of Rindo as just another friend. And the reaction she had when she thought Rindo was going to ask her out made him even more anxious. He trusted that Shoka didn’t at least dislike him, but the possibility that she hated the thought of herself and Rindo dating was plaguing the teen’s mind even more now. Shoka was always very assertive about the things she liked and disliked, but Rindo also knew that she would never tout her opinions at the expense of someone else’s feelings. Which meant that if he wanted an answer, he would have to ask Shoka straight-up. But that would also mean revealing his true feelings towards her, and he wasn’t mentally prepared for that, especially if she really did hate the thought of her and him going out.

Hanekoma, who up until now had been enjoying the conversation and giving advice for the troubles of the young people in front of him, noticed the troubled look in Rindo’s eyes and how he kept glancing in Shoka’s direction. Rindo himself didn’t notice the older man looking in his direction, as he was too deep in thought. As the conversation died down, Hanekoma tried to think of a way to help the blonde-haired boy. Then he realized that it was probably something he didn’t want this many people to hear, especially with Shoka present. And as he thought that, he also noticed that the sun was getting quite low, giving him an idea.

“Well, this has been a nice group therapy-slash-catchup session.” Hanekoma said while stretching his arms, almost too exaggeratedly. “However, it’s getting quite late, so why don’t we call it here? Wouldn’t want you all to walk home when it’s dark out.”

Shiki pulled out her phone and gasped. “Oh my gosh, you’re totally right, Mr. H! It’s already 6PM! Where did the time go?”

“Well, you know what they say, time goes faster in good company.” Rhyme remarked.

“Definitely!” Fret seconded. “We may have gotten a little… heavy at the end there, but I still had a blast! Plus, it felt great to just have all that out of my chest, y’know?”

“I could not have put it better myself, Lord Tosai.” Nagi added, adjusting her glasses. “The joys of conversing with a group of trusted friends… ‘tis truly something I wouldn’t mind trying more in the future.” The bespectacled girl beamed at her friends, speaking earnestly.

“Yeah… it wasn’t that bad, I have to admit.” Shoka said, smiling from Nagi’s contagious genuinity. “That bluff you pulled when we got here was a bit of a dick move… but I can see you’re not a bad person, Mr. H. You have this… I don’t know, aura of wisdom about you. It reminds me of Tsugumi’s brother…”

“Ah, you mean Conductor Matsunae? I suppose me and him were a little similar in some ways, yes.” Hanekoma conceded.

“Wow, you really do know everyone related to the Game.” Shoka remarked. “Who exactly are you?”

“I already told you. I'm sort of a guardian for the Game.” Hanekoma answered, a sly smile painting his face.

“Yeah, and anything beyond that is a bit of a long story, so why don’t we leave it at that?” Neku added, rising from his seat.

“I was thinking the same thing, Phones! Glad we’re on the same wavelength.” Hanekoma laughed.

“...Are they trying to hide something from us? ” Rindo thought, looking at the older man laughing in front of him.

“You had fun too, right Rindude?” Fret turned to his friend as Hanekoma was conversing with Neku and the others for a bit.

Rindo, who had been pretty deep in thought up till now, jumped a bit when he was addressed directly. “Huh?! Oh yeah, of course. This was great, glad we could meet up like this.”

Fret, however, immediately noticed the change in Rindo’s disposition. Nagi and Shoka, who were standing behind the lanky boy, also took notice. “Rindo? You alright? You’re not thinking about anything depressing again, are you?” Fret asked him, his tone filled with concern.

“If that is so, why did you not speak up, Lord Rindo?” Nagi inquired. “If your thoughts are about An0ther, we can-”

“No, it’s nothing like that. …Sorry, guys.” Rindo sighed. “I just... how should I explain this?”

“Rindo, are you sure you’re alright? You’re twisting your face an awful lot.” Shoka’s voice was teasing, but you could hear some genuine concern behind it as well.

“I, well…” Rindo froze. He wanted to say something. He wanted to open up to his friends. But he couldn’t find the words. And more to the point, Shoka was standing right there. “What do I say? What can I say?! I know Fret and Nagi are going to see through any lies I come up with, but if I tell the truth, then- ”

Hanekoma clapped his hands loudly, grabbing the attention of the four Twisters. “I believe it’s time for you young folks to head home. You too, Miss Usui. I’m certain you have classes tomorrow.”

The Twisters looked around and noticed that Neku and his friends were nowhere to be seen. “If you’re wondering about the others, they have already left. They wanted to say goodbye, but all of you were so engaged with one another, they couldn’t bring themselves to interrupt.” Hanekoma addressed.

“I see.” Nagi spoke up. “Well, perhaps you are correct. ‘Tis does seem like the opportune time to retire.”

“Well, yeah, I guess you’re right.” Fret conceded, taking one more glance at his mask-clad friend before heading for the door.

Shoka turned towards the door as well, but not before giving Rindo a confused look. It was obviously asking what was wrong, but Rindo could only look aside and pull his mask on his face. Shoka’s face turned to that of disappointment as she headed for the door as well. Rindo, after a few seconds of procrastination, headed to the door too, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“You guys go on ahead.” Hanekoma told the three standing at the café door. “I’ll borrow your leader for a bit, if that’s okay. Though considering we’re not in the UG anymore, maybe calling him your leader isn’t exactly right anymore…”

All four of them, including Rindo, were looking at the older man in surprise. After a short moment of silence, Fret was the first to speak up: “Sure, we’ll go on ahead!”

Everyone else aside from Hanekoma turned their eyes on Fret, the surprise in their faces even more apparent. “Fret, what are you-” Shoka started, only for Fret to silence her with a hand gesture.

“Come on, Rindo. I know something’s bothering you.” Fret pointed at his friend, his expression thoughtful and serious. “And I’m willing to bet that something has something to do with one or more of us. Am I wrong?”

“...!” Rindo gasped silently, his eyes moving towards Shoka for a slight second, but flicking them back to Fret so as to not give himself away.

Fret sighed. “Looks like I hit the jackpot.”

“Listen guys, I-” Rindo started.

But Fret interrupted him by starting to talk again himself. “But I totally get it! I mean, if you had a problem with one of us, of course you wouldn’t want to talk about it in front of everyone!” Fret smiled at Rindo, in the same way he always did, but his eyes were filled with genuinity. “I know you, Rindude. You’re always struggling over stuff like this, so maybe what you need right now is to talk to someone older and wiser. And anyone’s good at making people open up, it’s Mr. H here!”

Nagi and Shoka found themselves agreeing with Fret. “Hmm, your words do ring true, Lord Tosai.” Nagi said, holding her hand on her chin in thought. “I may not know Lord Rindo as well as you do, but considering our previous conversation with Sir Hanekoma, I trust that you are correct.”

“I’m not so sure about this… but I do think Fret has a point.” Shoka seconded. “I don’t know what the hell is bothering you, and I’d prefer if we could talk this out amongst ourselves, but if this is what it takes to snap you out of this, then I’m all for it.”

”Just make sure to let us know what’s up eventually.” Fret added. ”We’re your friends, Rindude! So no matter what your problem is, I’m sure we can work it out together.” Nagi and Shoka nodded beside the boy, who was looking at his blonde friend with a determined smile.

Rindo’s expression softened, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty for hiding stuff from them. ”Thanks, guys.” He said with a melancholic, but still clearly appreciative smile. ”I’m sorry to make you worry like this. It’s nothing that serious, I promise, it’s just… I’m just unsure about something.”

”Unsure, huh? Well, that does sound like a typical Rindo problem.” Shoka snarked, which caused a small flush to appear on Rindo’s face. ”Relax though, we understand. Take all the time you need.”

Nagi and Fret nodded in agreement, and the trio then started heading out. ”Alright, thank you for today, Mr. H! I hope we can chat again someday soon!” Fret shouted from the doorway.

”Heh, sure thing, Fret!” Hanekoma chuckled as he watched the three disappear through the café’s entrance.

Rindo smiled somewhat sadly, still feeling guilty for not being able to share his troubles with his friends, who were clearly more than eager to listen. But he was grateful they understood.

“You’ve got great friends, Rindo.” Hanekoma said, smiling.

“...Yeah. My life is a lot brighter because of them.” Rindo answered, his smile a lot warmer now.

“How did you put it again? ‘Shibuya isn’t special without them here?’ No wonder your opinion of them is so high, even if your way of expressing it is fairly low-key.” Hanekoma gave the boy a knowing smile.

Rindo felt a mix of shock and embarrassment. He recognized the phrase the older man just uttered, but had no idea how he knew about it. The possibility that he was bluffing came to mind, but something told him that wasn’t the case. He used the exact words he had used when Haz gave him another chance, and there was no way he just happened to guess right.

“Who exactly are you?” Rindo could only ask, his thoughts swirling around in his head like a whirlpool.

“...Let’s just say I have friends in high places, so to speak.” Hanekoma laughed weakly. “But don’t worry. I didn’t separate you from your friends to ambush you or anything like that. I really just want to talk.”

“But… why? If you already know so much about me, why bother trying to talk to me directly?” Rindo spoke, words leaving his mouth before even he could process them.

“I already told you. Only by allowing you to enter my world can I truly know you. I can listen to tales about the exploits of the Wicked Twisters and how you saved the city, but that won’t let me in. Hearing and seeing who you are doesn’t make me know the person that is Rindo Kanade.” Hanekoma explained.

Rindo felt slightly stupid. Deep down, he didn’t even need to ask, but at the same time, he couldn’t comprehend why someone like him would be interested in him in any way. “Right… I’m sorry for asking something like that when you already explained it.”

“Not at all. It’s okay to be unsure, y’know.” Hanekoma consoled him. “Nobody can expect you to make hard decisions in a blink of an eye, especially the right ones. You’re still young, Rindo. It’s okay to blurt out something stupid every once in a while.”

“I’m… not sure if that makes me feel any better.” Rindo rebutted. “If anything, that implies I say something stupid all the time.”

“Ahahaha!” Hanekoma chuckled. “Well, even if you do, it’s fine! You’ve got understanding friends around you, and the world isn’t always as cruel as you think. Making decisions takes courage for sure, you can’t move on in life if you keep being afraid of them.”

“...Yeah. That’s true.” Rindo smiled again, this time more genuinely.

“Anyway… why don’t you tell me what’s got you so bungled up? It’s something to do with Miss Sakurane, isn’t it?” Hanekoma said, his expression part serious, part thoughtful and part teasing.

Rindo jumped again. At this point, he shouldn’t be so surprised at how much the older man knew, but he didn’t take him for a mind reader as well. “Uh- well, I-”

“If you’re wondering how I could make that guess, the answer is simple observational and deductive skills.” Hanekoma tapped his head with his pointer finger as he spoke. “I saw you glancing at Kitty Girl quite often when we talked. At first, I thought you just liked her, but when I noticed you fidgeting and Fret pointed out what he did, I realized it was something beyond just that. Something happened between you and her, perhaps?”

Rindo could only blush. Hanekoma was right on the money, and this was the first time they had met. “A-Am I really that obvious?”

“Hmm…” Hanekoma tapped his chin. “I wouldn’t say you’re THAT obvious, but it’s still pretty easy to see. That, and I’d say I’m better at picking up body language than most people.”

“Great. You think everyone knows?” Rindo said, his gaze downcast.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Fret and Miss Usui had an inkling… though I’m not so sure about the rest. Beat would probably need time to process it even if you told him to his face.” Hanekoma chuckled.

Rindo stifled a laugh thinking about that. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

“Well? You’re free to tell me or not. I won’t force you.” Hanekoma inquired, using a very calming voice.

Rindo took a breath, and opened his mouth. “Well, it’s not like we’re on bad terms or anything. I’m pretty sure Shoka still likes me… as a friend.”

“Ah, but you’d like her to see you as something more, possibly?” Hanekoma threw in, causing Rindo’s face to flare up immediately.

“Well… well, yeah. The thing is, right before we came here, something happened. She and Fret were jokingly teasing me about asking her out, and then Shoka freaked out when Fret suggested I might have actually been attempting to do that.” Rindo explained, his face feeling warmer with every word. “O-Of course, I just wanted to hang out, but I still have no idea why she reacted the way she did when she realized the possibility. And I keep thinking that… it’s because she hates the idea. Of me and her dating. But she doesn’t want to hurt my feelings, and that’s why she freaked out.”

“I see. So that’s the dilemma you’re struggling with.” Hanekoma said, his expression having turned more serious as he listened to the blonde boy.

“I just… I have no idea how I’m supposed to approach her about this. I think the only way is to just ask her, but I don’t want to ruin our friendship if she really doesn’t want to be with me. And I’m… also afraid of her saying that. That she doesn’t want to go out with me.”

Rindo fell silent, looking at the floor. Hanekoma looked at him thoughtfully, and after a bit, rose up from the chair he had pulled up to listen. He then clapped his hands together to get the boy’s attention. “Alright, listen up, Rindo!”

This caused the boy to jump. “H-Huh?!”

“The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, you have to expand your world. Push your horizons as far as they can go.” Rindo could only blink in confusion as the older man continued: “Your problem is that you’re afraid. Afraid of connecting with people because you think you’ll hurt them. And I know you’ve recognized that. Making decisions, opening up to people, deepening your bonds beyond the superficial things, they’re all a part of that. And right now, you’re afraid of approaching Shoka because it might hurt the bond you have, or worse, hurt you yourself or Shoka.” Hanekoma walked over to the café counter and leaned on it. He looked out of the window wistfully. “But if you keep your feelings bottled up like that, if you won’t open up to the people closest to you, it will keep haunting you constantly. Only by reaching out can we lighten our load and start enjoying life again, you get me?”

Hanekoma turned his gaze towards the blonde youngster, who was still processing his words. “The world ends with me… right, I get that.” Rindo muttered. “I know that I have to talk to her. Otherwise this feeling won’t go away. But I feel like… I just don’t have the courage. To tell Shoka that I… that I’m in love with her.”

Hanekoma smiled at his honesty, then walked over and tapped his shoulder. “What are you talking about, Rindo? You made a decision that most people would downright paralyze over!” The older man looked Rindo in the eye, trying to encourage him. “When Shibuya was saved, you decided to gambit its safety to make sure none of your friends or allies would get erased. And it paid off! So compared to that… I’d say telling a girl you like her is a cinch.”

With Hanekoma saying it out loud, Rindo got embarrassed again, both from recalling all the corny stuff he said to Haz and his feelings for Shoka. “B-But those are not the same things. Not by a long shot…” Rindo managed to retort, pulling his mask over his face to hide his embarrassment.

“That’s true, they are definitely decisions of very different magnitude.” Hanekoma nodded his head exaggeratedly. “But to you, they matter just as much, right? Hell, maybe Shoka’s affections even mean more to you than saving everyone from erasure. At least… at this present moment.”

“Mmm… I guess you’ve got some kind of point. But still, I-”

Hanekoma interrupted Rindo as he started tussling his hair. “C’mon kid, don’t be so stubborn about this!”

“Hey, knock it off!” Rindo forced the older man’s arm off his head. In response, Hanekoma looked slightly apologetic, but not without losing his confident smile.

“Haha, sorry. Maybe I should’ve warned you before getting handsy like that. But what I’m trying to say is… the decision you made took courage. An immense amount of it, fact. That kind of decision… is something no one should have to make during their lifetime. At least no one from the lower planes should.”

“Okay… I mean, yeah, you’re not wrong, but what’s your point?” Rindo challenged.

“I’m saying that you already have the courage. Courage to tell Shoka Sakurane that you’re in love with her.” Hanekoma said pointedly, causing surprise (and a deep-red blush) to appear on Rindo’s face. “It’s true that the decisions are different, but they have the same fundamentals. With your decision to save everyone, the risk was willingly putting Shibuya in danger and failing to save it. With your decision to ask Shoka out, the risk is damaging your relationship and the fear of how she will respond. Honestly, all decision-making is the same. You make them by weighing the risk and reward, and deciding if the reward is worth the risk. So ask yourself, is the reward, that being the possibility of Miss Sakurane returning your affections, worth the risk, the possibility of your relationship getting damaged?”

Rindo got a little annoyed. He knew what he was getting at, but he felt it was just repeating the same point he himself had made. “Well, that’s just the thing! I don’t know! I’m afraid-”

Hanekoma glared at Rindo, causing him to shut up. However, it wasn’t an intimidating glare, but more like a scolding one. “No. You’re not afraid. Or rather, you are afraid… but like I said, you already have the courage to push through the fear. I know that the person who would risk Shibuya’s safety for the sake of saving his friends… is able to confess his feelings and deal with the consequences.”

Rindo’s mouth stood slightly agape. He felt like he understood what Hanekoma was saying, but still felt unsure. “Even if you say that… even if you say I have the courage… I don’t know if I’m really ready.” As he said this, the boy turned his gaze away from the older man again, rubbing his forearm.

“Sure you are. You trust Shoka, don’t you?” Hanekoma turned back to Rindo, now wearing his usual smile. Rindo also turned his head back towards him, listening to his words intently. “Even if she doesn’t return your feelings, you should trust her that she won’t break your heart or make things awkward afterwards. Human relationships are difficult, of course, so if your feelings aren’t mutual, your relationship is bound to change at least a little. But as long as you trust each other and keep that bond you had, I’m sure you can stay as friends. And if you really thought Shoka would break off your friendship because of this, I think you wouldn’t even be able to hang around her like you did today.”

Rindo was speechless once again. Hanekoma’s words resonated with him; he knew them to be true. All he really needed was to believe in Shoka, as well as his own courage. “I think… I think I understand. I think I’ll ask her… and inevitably tell her how I feel. I might not be immediately, but I’ll definitely do it. I… I don’t want this to bother me, and I don’t want the others to be worried about me. Shoka is really mature, so… I’m sure we can still keep being friends even if she doesn’t return my feelings.” Rindo said the last part with a sad smile.

“Heh. Attaboy.” Hanekoma chuckled. “Give yourself some credit though. I’d say you’re also really mature.”

“R-Really?” Rindo asked, slightly surprised by the older man’s words.

“Of course. You wouldn’t have made it through the Game if you weren’t.” Hanekoma smiled at the young man in front of him, who also smiled back.

“I guess you’re right. I hadn’t really thought about that… but I guess I’ve really grown pretty mature, huh?” Rindo said, slight confidence mixing into his voice.

“Just don’t let it get to your head, kid!” Hanekoma laughed. 

“...I’m glad we had this talk, Mr. Hanekoma. Thanks a lot.” Rindo smiled, gratefulness written all over his face.

“No problem. I hope we can talk like this sometime later as well… and I hope to hear all about how you and Kitty Girl got hitched by then!” Hanekoma said with a smirk.

“H-Hitched?!” Rindo’s voice broke and his face went completely red. “I-I-I think you’re missing a couple of steps!”

“Hahahaha! Sorry Rindo, I was just exaggerating.” The scruffy man grinned, satisfied with the blonde boy’s reaction. “But you know what I mean. I wish you the best of luck.”

“Th-Thanks.” Rindo responded, his embarrassment dying down a little. “Well, I better get going. It’s getting dark.”

“Yup, take care of your- wait, I almost forgot!” Hanekoma facepalmed, surprising Rindo.

“Huh? Was there more?” Rindo inquired.

“Well, it’s just that… you might be a bit more relieved to know that Kitty Girl might actually like you back.”

“Wh-What?!” Rindo’s shock was back, and so was the blood rushing to his face. “How could you know something like that?”

“Observation, remember?” Hanekoma tapped his temple again. “Of course, I can’t say for certain… but just like you kept glancing at her, she kept glancing at you from time to time. I mean, there were some points where your eyes met, but you whipped your eyes away before you could get caught. But nothing escapes my eyes!”

“O-Okay… But you’re not sure, right?” Rindo confirmed.

“Right. I would have to talk to Shoka myself to confirm… but I guess you just have to find out for yourself. Anyway, my theory is that the real reason she freaked out when she realized you might’ve been asking her out for real… was because she was afraid your feelings for her would die because she made fun of you. In other words, she’s probably struggling with something similar as you are right now.”

“Y-You really think so?” Rindo blushed again.

“Only one way to find out for sure, tiger. Go get ‘em.” Hanekoma gave him a thumbs-up.

“R-Right. Thanks again, Mr. Hanekoma!” Rindo waved at the man as he rushed through the café door.

“Take care, Rindo! Hope we’ll see each other later!” Hanekoma shouted after the boy, who was already running through the sunset-covered Cat Street.

Hanekoma walked over to the coffee bar, having cleaned up the dishes from today’s hangout. “Well, I think it’s about time to return. Sure hope I can come back here sometime soon.”

The man used the fire escape to climb over to the building’s roof, where he looked at the nightlights of Shibuya one last time. As an Angel of the higher plane, he wasn’t allowed to hang around in the RG for very long without good reason, and as the Producer, his role was more that of an observer anyway, so it was better that he just returned for now.

As he took one last look at the city below him, he turned around, and a pair of wings sprouted from his back. Raising his hand in goodbye to the city, he said: “Hope to see you soon, Shibuya. And you too, Neku and Rindo. You’re both growing up to be very bright and promising young men. I can’t wait to see all you’ll become.”

Leaving behind a trail of feathers, Sanae Hanekoma vanished into the night sky.