#terukado

“Holy–”

“Whoa, step back!”

Teruya scrambles away from the Monocrow Machine as it violently shakes. Setsuka, who was doing her own shopping in the gift shop, helps him to his feet and they run to the other side of the store. They keep their distance from the machine as it struggles to function, before it finally spits out the gift. Or rather, gifts as multiple objects spill out from the vending machine. The noises from the Monocrow Machine eventually calmed down and went quiet. Certain that nothing else was going to pop out or explode, Teruya cautiously moved forward to examine the gifts.

“...Books?” Teruya said, dumbfounded as he kneels down to pick one up. The book didn’t have a title on it, but the cover had fancy engravings in black and a symbol that was a triangle with an eyeball in the middle. He can’t help but feel a little bit creeped out as he opens the book to try and read it. But he quickly realizes that he can’t as it was filled with runes he did not understand at all. “What kind of books are these??”

“Let me see…ooo, looks like these books might be about magic!” Setsuka said, picking up a book and scanning through it. Her smile wanes a bit. “...Too bad I can’t understand any of this.”

“Oh…” Teruya blinks. Honestly, with all these symbols and runes, it’d make the most sense that these were spell books. What else could they be just by the aesthetic alone? He starts stacking the books on top of each other and speaks as he thinks. “Where does Monocrow even find this kind of stuff…?”

“Honestly, it’s probably stuff from Hope’s Peak.” Setsuka hands him the book she held. “I mean, they’re a school made to study our talents and help us develop them. So it’d make sense they’d find stuff for someone like Mikado…Even if he’s like, the first wizard I’ve ever heard of.”

“Yeah…” Teruya sets the book on top of the stack and starts to question how he’s going to move all of these books. There’s no way all of them will fit in his backpack and it’ll be too heavy to carry even if he could. “I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen magic even before I got amnesia. But even then, it’s weird that they’re able to find all this stuff for a talent that felt so…obscure up to this point. Especially since it’s all about magic, something…something that’s never been real. You know?”

“Hm…that is a good point.” Setsuka frowns…before shrugging her shoulders as she starts to grin again. “Maybe there’s a secret society of magic users no one has heard of until now!”

“Um…” Teruya hesitates. He didn’t want to shoot down Setsuka’s enthusiasm, nor did he want to question her idea if it was actually plausible. He just…didn’t want to come off as incompetent. And yet, the reminder of his journal and the questions he had asked himself last night encouraged him to speak up. After all, Mikado did tell him to get used to asking questions if he wanted to improve his thinking. “...Why, uh, why do you think so?”

“Hm? Oh, well…it is a concept in fiction. And since Mikado seems like the real deal, it would make sense that magic would have to come from somewhere.” Setsuka said, crossing her arms and answering his question head on. “I don’t know where or how he learned his magic, but he had to learn somehow if he were to become the Ultimate Wizard.” Her smile widens as she raises her index finger. “Sooo if a secret society of magic users exists, then Hope’s Peak could’ve found a way to contact them and asked for materials to help nurture his talent!”

“That…I mean, it could be possible.” Teruya admits, even if he had his doubts. Thinking on it harder only strengthened them as Mikado said that he never had a mentor and was completely self-taught through a book he found by chance. And if there was a secret society of magic users, well, that only brought up more questions than answers. “But, um…how do I explain myself…? I don’t think that would make much sense…?” He rubs his forehead. Setsuka doesn’t push him, simply waiting for him to gather his thoughts. Teruya appreciated her patience. “If magic has existed for years, centuries even…why are we only hearing this now? Why haven’t magic users made themselves known before? I mean, I don’t remember our history at all, but I’m pretty sure some people would be interested in using magic to help or hurt others. And if there really is a secret society, uh…how would Hope’s Peak find them?”

“...That I don’t know.” Setsuka admits, scratching the back of her head. She was still smiling but her expression was much more awkward now. “I’ll admit, I was mostly spitballing the first idea that came to mind. And it’s not like Hope’s Peak is able to grab their hands on information that should’ve been hidden. Take Ruko or even Syobai as an example. Neither of them were trying to gain Hope’s Peak’s attention but they were found out anyway and got scouted into the school. I’m just saying, if it did exist and Hope’s Peak Academy somehow got into contact with them, I wouldn’t be surprised.” She then sighs and shrugs her shoulders. “But who knows? The whole magic thing is pretty much new to everyone here and the only one who’s even intimate with that knowledge is Mikado himself…and he ain’t really talking. So all we can really do is speculate!”

“...Yeah, that’s all we really can do, huh?” Teruya stands up and stares down at the stack of spell books. He was tempted to mention that Mikado learned magic all on his own but decided against it. That was a part of Mikado’s past, and it was something he had opened up to him about. Not anyone else. So he shouldn’t spill it out to others willy-nilly as that was information only he was trusted with so far. “We don’t really have the evidence to speculate in the first place. And it wouldn’t really be a secret society if we knew all about it anyways.” Setsuka nods but doesn’t add anything else. With the topic officially dying out, Teruya looks around to figure out how he’s going to transport all of these books. When his eyes land on some strings, an idea forms in his head and he walks over to the shelf. He had to pay for them from his handbook but he didn’t care as he had an abundance of Crow-Cards at this point. Taking a decent amount of string, he carefully lays them down on the floor before putting the stack of books on top. He then grabs the string and ties them together at the top, keeping the stack together in one piece. “This should work…”

“I’d say so.” Setsuka rubs her right eye, leaning over to stare at his handiwork. “You’re really good at tying knots. I kinda just wing it and then I’m stuck with a big tangle of strings instead.”

“I could teach you next time we hang out.” Teruya offered, testing the weight of the books before deciding to just pick them up from the bottom. With a huff, he manages to carry them with ease.

“Maybe next time! You look like you have places to be right now.” Setsuka said, not denying or accepting the request. Probably something they can talk about next time. “Gonna hang out with Mikado now?”

“Yep.” Teruya said, popping the ‘p.’ “He’s giving me lessons in the library and I don’t want to be late for that.”

“Ooo, lessons! What kind of lessons?” She grins mischievously, nudging her elbow against his side. Teruya blinks at her.

“Uh…Investigation lessons? Cause, you know, I, uh, kinda sucked at the fake class trial. So Mikado offered to help and I don’t want to get left behind.” Teruya explained. He readjusts his grip, completely missing the slightly disappointed look Setsuka sends his way. “I better get going. See ya.”

“Ah, sure. See ya, Teru!” Setsuka smiles back at him and leaves the gift shop first. The nickname made his heart both flutter and tighten. Teruya takes a deep breath. He should focus on what’s important right now.

He walks down the halls of the Monocruise, slowly making his way towards the library. When he finally reached the double doors, he had to use his foot to push it open. Almost immediately, his eyes land on Mikado reading another book. It would’ve been a nice, peaceful sight to witness if he hadn’t noticed that the cover was another psychology book, reminding him of Kokoro's possible motivations again. Mikado’s real eye glances up from the book, looks back down, and then does a double take.

“What are you carrying?” Mikado asked, lifting his face from his book. Teruya simply sends him a smile.

“Spell books, apparently.” He said. Mikado blinks his eyes, both real and mask, as Teruya sets down the stack on the table with a grunt. “Maybe I should spend more time in the gym. My arms are actually sore from carrying all of these.” He stretches, lifting his arms above his head until his spine makes a popping sound.

“I believe that’s a sign you should rest, not over do it.” Mikado closes his book and it disappears into his cape. He then leans over to look at the stack of books. “I’m assuming that these are a gift?”

“Yep!” Teruya’s smile grew a little bit before he undid the tie. He hands Mikado the first book. “I don’t know if you’ve seen these books before, but I remember that you wanted to learn more about magic. And this stuff popped out of the Monocrow Machine earlier. So I thought you’d want something like this.” Mikado stares at the book before taking it. He flips it open and starts scanning the contents, his eyes glowing along with the words. Teruya leans in, wondering what Mikado could be doing with his magic.

“This…This is…” Mikado suddenly shuts the book. Teruya flinched at the sudden sound, but the wizard was already taking the second book to look through it. The same glowing effect takes place and then he closes it. He stares at the cover intently. “Teruya, these books…”

“Uhhh, yeah?” Teruya shifts on the ball of his feet. He hoped he didn’t somehow offend Mikado. Were the books fake somehow? Or something far worse? He certainly starts to fear for the worse when Mikado’s mask suddenly goes blank, just like the times when he would go into shock. His body breaks out in a sweat. “I, uh, I’m-”

“I’ve been looking for these books since…forever.” His voice cuts him off, quiet and restrained. Mikado lifts the book to his face before holding it close to his chest. “And you’re giving these…to me?”

“Uhhhh, yeah!” Teruya laughs awkwardly. “I mean, as long as you like them! If you don’t-”

“Like them?” Mikado said, almost sounding baffled. And when he turned around, Teruya felt himself freeze. His mask was completely blank, but his face…his real face. It was giving him this big smile, his eye shining bright like gold. “I love them! I could never get my hands on the full set before and you just…You got all of the books! And you’re giving them to me. You’re…You’re really…really giving it to me…right?”

Teruya gulps.

“Y-Yeah, of course I am! You love magic and you’d get the most out of this so…” Teruya rubs his neck, averting his gaze. He tries to fight against the blush rising to his face. “So it’s yours.”

It was then that Mikado got out of seat and took his hand.

“Thank you!” Mikado said, jumping up and down with a squeal. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” And just as quickly as he had held his hand, he lets go and pulls the stack of books closer to his side of the table. “I can’t wait to read all of these! Maybe I can squeeze some time in at night…ah, but…Hm…I need to do some research…But the books…!”

“Heh…” Teruya couldn’t help himself. Even as Mikado’s gaze snaps back to him, he just keeps chuckling. “Sorry, it’s just…It’s, uh, cute. To see you get all excited.” Teruya smiles at the wizard. “You look great with a smile. A real smile.”

“Real…ah!” Mikado’s eye goes wide before turning away. He covers the mask with his hand. “I…didn’t mean to smile like that.” Teruya feels his heart sink a little. But only briefly as Mikado’s ears slowly start to turn red. “But…thank you. For the compliment.”

“Uh, heh, you’re welcome.” Teruya said, unable to keep himself from blushing any longer. He sits down with his hands in his lap. Mikado also sat back down. The two of them weren’t able to look at each other until the blush on Mikado’s ears went down. As soon as that happened, Mikado put his hand down and his mask went back to normal. It blinks its wide eye before going to its normal smile. He turns to him, his real face going back to its usual blank expression.

Teruya wished he could see that smile again.

“Thank you for the books, Otori-san. I will be sure to put them to good use.” Mikado said, setting the two other books back on the stack. He waves his cape over it and just like that, the stack disappears underneath it. He then adjusts his cape behind himself. “I will find you a suitable gift later.”

“Oh, no. You don’t have to do something like that.” Teruya raises both of his hands to try and appease him, feeling the blush on his face start to cool. But Mikado was already shaking his head.

“I insist, Otori-san. You’ve been spoiling me with gifts since we’ve been hanging out. It’s only natural that I give you something in return.” Mikado rubs his thumbs together, clearly pleased. “Especially after you gave me a wonderful gift.”

“...You’re not gonna budge, no matter what I say, huh?” Teruya said, caving in with a chuckle. He sets his hands down on the table. “Well…I guess I’ll just look forward to it then.”

“Please do.” Mikado then pulls out his handbook and sets it up on the table. “With that out of the way, let us get into the lesson. Did you do the assignment I asked you to do yesterday?”

“Yeah. It’s all in my journal.” Teruya pulls it out from his coat. Flipping it to the most recent pages, he lays it flat on the table and adjusts it so Mikado can read it better from his side. He had tried his best to brainstorm any and all questions he could think of last night, mostly about himself, the killing game and Kokoro’s role as the mastermind. Most of it was stuff he already knew or discussed with others in the dining room. But it’s good to have it on record so he can reference it later. Honestly, it was something he probably should’ve done from the start. “So, uh, where should we start?”

“How about the first page…which is apparently about yourself.” Mikado said, tapping on the page in question. He scoots his chair closer so he can read it better. On the page, he had written down ‘My Identity’ and circled it. After that, he made a few branching points and tried to keep the questions to one word or as short as possible to save space. He already listed his name since meeting Rei Mekaru and that woman was the closest people to be able to confirm that much. Unless they were lying, but he’d rather not think about that. They acted like they knew him, so they were probably the best people to trust when it comes to his missing identity.

Too bad they’re dead. It would make things so much easier for him if he knew himself. Or at least, his name.

“Hm…there’s little notes about your name.” Mikado points at it. “‘Shining house’...”

“Oh, I was just trying to see what kind of kanji spellings I can use for my name.” Teruya said, leaning closer. “I know my e-handbook already shows how it’s spelled. I just thought it’d be good to cover my bases, you know?”

“I see…” Mikado’s finger traces the kanji before him. There weren’t many spellings to his name, to be honest. His e-handbook spelled his name ‘Teruya Otori’ with the ‘teru’ kanji meaning ‘to illuminate’ or ‘to shine’ and the ‘ya’ kanji meaning ‘shop’, while ‘Otori’ straight up meant ‘large bird'. Any other spellings were pretty similar if not the same. Teruya can also be written as ‘shining house’ and some spellings with Otori can be spelled ‘Phoenix’ or something similar to ‘big bird.’ Not a lot of spellings when it comes to his name. But that clues him in that his parents had chosen a very specific name for him at least. “What is a ‘Fenghuang?’ Feels foreign.”

“Ah…I think it’s a bird from Chinese mythology.” Teruya scratches his cheek with his finger. The information was once again flowing through his head, like it was the most natural thing for him to know. “An immortal bird, like a phoenix, is an omen of good luck…I think. It’s just another way to spell ‘Otori,’ if I’m doing this correctly.”

“Your kanji spelling makes sense, if that’s what you’re asking.” Mikado lifts his hand up to mouth with a chuckle. “A phoenix…it would certainly explain the little drawing you made, huh?” Teruya glances at the drawing in question. It was of a bird, made of circles and swirls, three feathers on top of its head, two tails and its wing was in front of its body like it was in the middle of flying. He licks his lips before shrugging.

“It just came to me, to be honest.” Teruya admits. The moment he had written down Fenghuang, the image just flowed into his brain and he couldn’t help but draw it right that instant. Upon looking at the little doodle, his heart had started to ache. But of course, no memories came back to him. Just a vague feeling that simply made his chest hurt. He almost wanted to shut his journal then and there, but he pushed on. He wanted to explore every question he could think of, for the sake of completing Mikado’s assignment. “...It’s a cute drawing. I think the design made an impression on me, but I don’t know where…”

“...Actually, I think I do recognize that specific doodle from somewhere.” Mikado speaks up and Teruya instantly straightens his posture.

“You do?!” He gapes at him with wide eyes. “Where??”

“Calm down.” Mikado puts his hand up to soothe him. Teruya shifts in his seat but calms his excitement. He probably shouldn’t get his hopes up too much. That would only be setting himself up for disappointment. “...I believe it’s part of a logo. A business that dabbled in almost anything you could think of.”

“Anything you could think of…” Teruya felt his brain throb, a familiarity surfacing in his memory. But it doesn’t break through, much to his disappointment. “...Do you remember what it’s called? If I’m drawing the logo, it must be important…or something.”

“...Don’t freak out. But, well…” Mikado pauses before his real eye looks away. His words are blunt and straight to the point. “It’s called the ‘Otori Mart.’”

“...Huh?” He stares at him, processing his words. “The…Otori Mart…” His jaw was hanging before the pieces finally clicked in his head and he snapped his mouth shut. He stands from his seat and slams his hands against the table. Mikado jolts. “Why didn’t you mention this sooner?! That’s…That’s my name! It has my name!”

“My apologies…I simply didn’t want to confuse you.” Mikado said, cringing at his shrill voice. Teruya made his displeasure clear on his face by frowning deeply. The wizard gestures for him to sit down. “Allow me to explain, at least.” Teruya narrows his eyebrows but he slowly sits back down. Once he did, Mikado continued. “...I was not aware that you and the Otori Mart were possibly related. Just because you share a name with a business doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a connection. The possibility of a coincidence is always there and nothing more. And because I lacked the evidence to connect you and the Otori Mart beyond just your name, I didn’t want to bring it up as it would confuse you. Reality does not always coincide with imagination, and it’d be easy to build up an expectation of your past self when it could be farther from the truth. At best, you’d be disappointed. At worst…you may end up trying to reject your past self. And I don’t want you to do that to yourself. Regardless of what the truth is, that past is still a part of you. Even if you never remember it.”

“...So, in other words…you were keeping quiet because you didn’t want me to believe in something that might not be true.” Teruya slowly summed up. Mikado nods his head. “I…see.” He looks away. Now he felt a little shameful. “That, um, makes sense actually…”

“I’m sorry I have kept quiet up till now. I just didn’t want to make assumptions without the evidence to back it up.” Mikado said, looking back at the doodle of the bird. “It’s…a bit circumstantial as evidence. But if the logo made such a strong impression on you, perhaps there is a deeper connection.”

“Do you…know if the Otori Mart has an heir? Someone to inherit the business?” Teruya asked. It felt natural to ask such a question. Mikado, however, was already shaking his head.

“I’m afraid that’s…beyond me. I wouldn’t know how a business works behind the scenes.” Mikado scratches the back of his head, almost as if he was disappointed in himself. “Unless it was on the news, I don’t know if the Otori Mart is a business that runs on family inheritance. And even then, I barely paid any attention to the news unless I noticed something very concerning.”

“Ah…Well, I guess I shouldn’t expect it to be that easy.” Teruya sighs and pulls out a pen. He adds the Otori Mart under a bubble labeled ‘past’ with a question mark on the end. “But it’s something. Thank you for speaking up on this…and, um, I’m sorry for snapping earlier.”

“Do not apologize for that. It’s understandable that you would be upset as it’s a possible connection to your past.” Mikado waves his hand placatingly before setting it down on the table. “Keyword possible. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”

“I understand.” Teruya then looks back at the page. “I think we should move on from my name. It’s one of the few things I know for certain about myself.”

“Very well. Hmm…” Mikado points to another bubble. “I see you put your own age and talent in question marks. Your lack of an idea for a talent makes sense, as we could only speculate on it based on the skills and interests you’ve shown so far.” His finger circles the talents he had listed out, some of which were the ones Mikado suggested in the past. Others were ones he came up with on his own, like bank teller, financier or advertiser to list a few. But none of them really clicked in his head so they all had question marks around them. “But why are you questioning your age?”

“Uh…I mean, I know I’m a Hope’s Peak Student. I wouldn’t be here as your classmate if I wasn’t.” Teruya runs his fingers through his hair. “But, I don’t know. When I saw Rei Mekaru and that woman, I felt…strangely attached to them? I don’t know, I just…I feel a bit more closer to Shinji’s age…or something.”

“I see.” Mikado was quiet for a while. He then shrugs. “It’s not unheard of for there to be older Hope’s Peak Students. Shinji is a living example of that. And we should keep in mind that height does not necessarily equate to one’s age.”

“Yeah, I know.” Teruya props his hand on his chin. “Yuri is short as hell but he’s the same age as everyone else. I guess I just feel a little weird about my age since I don’t even remember the specific number. Let alone my own birthday.”

“If we ever come across any evidence about yourself or get out of here, you will find out eventually.” Mikado assured, staring down at the journal. Teruya slowly nods his head. He supposed he’ll just have to wait and see. Assuming he survives long enough to find out. If only Rei Mekaru and that woman were still around, they probably would’ve given him the answers he seeks.

Speaking of which…

“Do you have any guesses about my relation to the Kisaragi Foundation?” Teruya points at the ‘past’ bubble with the name of the organization written underneath. “Like, maybe I worked and developed my talent there?”

“Perhaps.” Mikado puts his finger up to his lips. “It would certainly be an explanation for how they knew you. But it’s possible that there are other ways you’ve gotten to know them. Ms. Mekaru was the Former Ultimate Professor, correct? Perhaps she tutored you.”

“Haha, maybe.” Teruya said with a chuckle. While it was an on the fly suggestion, it feels as though something like that had happened in the past. He couldn’t remember it, but he definitely had that feeling. He looks down at the list again. The Kisaragi Foundation, the Otori Mart, his familiarity with Yuki Maeda and that guy from the portrait, his family…He clicks his tongue. “Yuki isn’t much help. If he doesn’t remember me, there’s no point in asking. The guy from the portrait is dead, according to Kokoro and as much as I don’t trust her, I don’t see why she would lie. She seemed…genuine in her grief. And my family…” Teruya puts his hand over his chest. “When I try to think about my mother, I don’t feel much. Maybe I’m a little sad but it’s nothing I can’t deal with. But when I…think about my father…” He swallows, trying to get rid of this lump in his throat.

But it doesn’t go away.

Even as he tried not to think about it, it felt hard to breathe.

Like something was choking him, drowning him in a sea of sorrow.

He can see someone in his head, his back turned to him as he sits at his desk. Warm and comforting.

But no matter how he tries to reach out to him, he feels the memory sink deeper into the abyss. Never to be found again.

Like the days of being held were gone, gone, gone–

“Otori-san. Otori-san.”

He feels a hand wrap around his. Teruya flinches as it’s pulled away from his neck, letting go of the scarf he held so tightly. He felt sweat cling to his skin, his chest felt like it was tight and in pain, and his heart kept rapidly pounding against his ribs. But Mikado uses his other hand to make Teruya face him, staring right into his eyes.

“It’s okay. You can get through this.” Mikado said gently, rubbing his thumb along his hand. “Just slow your breathing. Count to ten. I will help you so watch me.”

Mikado takes in a slow deep breath, holds, and then lets it out. Teruya focuses on him and follows his example. The wizard counts out loud for him, repeating with each breath he takes, stops, and lets out. They do this a couple of times until the pain in his chest slowly alleviates. He can feel himself calming down and once he does, his grip on Mikado starts to loosen.

“Do you need anything, Otori-san? I can go grab it right now.” Mikado asked, still rubbing his thumb along his hand. Teruya stares at their conjoined hands, quiet.

“What…What about our lesson…?” Teruya looks up. Mikado’s mask forms a small frown.

“You can’t learn if your body is shutting down on you. If you’re not up for it, we can always skip today’s lesson and relax.” Mikado said, holding his hand tightly. When Teruya starts to frown, he slowly shakes his head. “I know you’re concerned about getting left behind. But you shouldn’t push yourself. You’ll only get frustrated.”

“...Okay…” He finally caves in. He just felt so tired right now that he can’t bring himself to argue. “Can you…grab me some water?”

“Right away.” Mikado lets go of his hand and in the blink of an eye, he disappears in a flash of fire. Teruya barely had to sit there for a minute before the wizard came back with a water bottle in hand. He twists the cap without him asking to. “Here you go, Otori-san.”

“Thanks…” Teruya murmured before lifting the drink to his lips. The cool water made him close his eyes at the refreshing taste. After downing a few gulps, he finally starts to relax a little and smacks his lips once he’s done. Teruya sets the water bottle on the table and leans against it with a sigh. “Ah, that feels good.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Mikado said, sitting back down on the chair. He pulls the journal over to his side of the table. “Moving on from yourself…it seems you’ve written down questions about our situation and Kokoro, although it’s stuff we’ve already speculated about. Including her strange motivations about brains and memories…although I see you’ve written down ‘Remnants of Despair’ as well.”

“I mean…Rei Mekaru mentioned it before. Which means this group of people are very dangerous, not unlike Kokoro.” Teruya explains his thoughts. He rubs his forehead with a sigh. “I don’t know…or rather, I don’t remember what they are. All I know is that they’re bad. Bad enough that Rei Mekaru called Kokoro that on the day we all woke up in this killing game.”

“Yes…she has.” Mikado said slowly. His mask slowly smiles. “You’re putting all of this together very nicely, Otori-san.”

“I-I am?” Teruya lifts his head, staring at him with wide eyes. Mikado nods his head.

“Yes. While the answers aren’t concrete, you’re speculating, which means you’re using your brain. That’s good.” Mikado slides his journal back over to him. “It means you’re being curious and that means this assignment went very well. Keep it up, Otori-san.”

“Uh, hehehe…” Teruya feels a smile grow on his face from the praise. He still wasn’t feeling well, but the compliment cheered him up. If only a little bit.

“...Do you wish to continue the lesson, Otori-san?” Mikado tilts his head at him. “If you feel like we can continue, we can go ahead with the plan.”

“Um…” Teruya hesitates. He wanted to continue their lesson. He knows they should. He needed this if he wanted to be useful in a class trial. If there ever is another class trial. But…his brain felt completely fried right now. And his gut was telling him that there was no way he'd be absorbing any sort of knowledge tonight. Not after what just happened with his body just moments ago. “...To be honest, I don’t think I can do this today. But I still want to learn something. Otherwise, I feel like we just wasted an entire day.”

“...How about this then?” Mikado starts putting away his handbook. “We spend the rest of our time working on that jigsaw puzzle we haven’t finished, and I give you an assignment to work on for later. Does this compromise work for you?”

“Yeah…Yeah, I think I like that idea.” Teruya smiles a little bit as he lifts his head. “Although I can’t promise I’ll be able to finish it tonight.”

“That’s fine. The best plans are the ones that are flexible, so I don’t mind changing things up. Even if it is only our second day of starting these lessons.” Mikado said, pulling the jigsaw puzzle box out of his cape. “And even if you don’t finish the assignment tonight, just think about it. Okay?”

“Alright.” Teruya replied, straightening his posture. “...Thank you, Mikado.”

Mikado’s mask smiles at him before scooting his chair closer to him. He then sets the box down and carefully sets up their jigsaw puzzle. With his magic, it was very easy to keep the half completed puzzle together and set it down on the table, along with the piles of puzzle pieces they made last time. Both of them were quiet as they started picking up pieces and putting them together. But eventually, Mikado speaks up.

“Did you remember something?” He asks, his voice low but gentle. Teruya lifts his head just as he attaches another puzzle piece to the jigsaw. “About your father, I mean.”

“Ah…not really.” Teruya admits. He can feel the disappointment weighing down on his shoulders. “I saw him sitting at a desk, but I couldn’t even remember what he looked like. But I did feel…happy and comforted when I saw him. And yet…I feel as though my heart is broken in two.”

“Sounds like something complicated happened between you and your father.” Mikado points out. Teruya shifts in his seat, staring at the puzzle apprehensively. “...Would you like to talk about something else?”

“Please.” Teruya nods and he quickly thinks of a topic. “...What’s it like using magic? You seem to love it a lot.”

“Using magic is exhilarating.” Mikado’s answer was almost instantaneous. He can feel the excitement radiating off of him. “Being able to change nature itself, create objects out of thin air, seeing things that the naked eye cannot…It's a whole different world. Not to mention I get to fly through the air! I wasn’t able to do that back in Japan.”

“Because you would’ve gotten into trouble if people saw you using magic, right?” Teruya said, remembering their conversation yesterday. Mikado nods his head with a sigh, connecting another puzzle piece.

“Yes…As I’ve said before, using magic is not only taxing but also dangerous to reveal. Back in Japan, I had to be careful when and how I should use my magic. But here…I have so much freedom.” Mikado stares at his hand, a giant smile forming on his mask. “There’s no one else around but our classmates and as the Ultimate Wizard, I’m allowed to use my magic to my heart’s content. I was so excited to study more about magic…” He then hangs his head with a sigh. “But alas…Well, I don’t have to explain any further, now do I?”

“Nope. I imagine the killing game put a stop to almost everyone’s plans for Hope’s Peak…” Teruya picks up a few puzzle pieces. A frown slowly forms on his face. “Unless…someone decides to murder…”

“Hopefully not. You’ve been checking on everyone since we got here…No one has been doing anything suspicious, yes?” Mikado tilts his head at him. But Teruya shakes his head.

“Not that I noticed. Nothing has been taken or restocked in the gift shop. At least, nothing suspicious like the tasers. I, uh, check every day.” Teruya clears his throat awkwardly. He can’t help but feel embarrassed for doing something that’s probably considered weird. Even if it felt natural to do so. “It seems Monocrow restocks everything in the gift shop after twenty-four hours.”

“Which means, if someone takes something from the gift shop, you’ll only have until the night time announcement to notice…” Mikado sighs, rubbing his forehead as he picks up another puzzle piece. “Not very useful since people can take things and use them for later. Perhaps if you keep an active record of who takes what, you could bypass that. But getting people to cooperate with that would be impossible, let alone put any sort of surveillance on the gift shop. And then there’s the U-Mart…”

“Yeah, anyone could go in there, too.” Teruya scratches his head. “I don’t think there’s a good way of keeping an eye on the stores, especially by myself. And even if there was only one store, I’d have to camp out there almost twenty-four seven just to catch people coming in and out and make a record of what they buy. Which means I wouldn’t be able to investigate or do anything else the whole day.”

“Hm…” Mikado’s mask frowns as he lifts his finger to his lips. “...I might have an idea, actually.”

“You do?” Teruya raised an eyebrow at that. He puts down a few puzzle pieces, staring at the picture that was slowly coming together.

“I’ll talk to you about it later. I need to make sure I won’t be breaking any rules before committing to my idea.” Mikado said, attaching another puzzle piece to the jigsaw. “If it goes through, I’ll update you during our lesson tomorrow. Alright?”

“Okay.” Teruya’s fingers brush against his goggles. Its cool, worn surface made his heart calm down, even when there’s a pang of hurt behind it as well. He then huffs upon realizing something. “...Geez, how did we get to talking about preventing possible murders when we’re supposed to be relaxing?”

“Oops. Well, it happens when you get carried away onto another topic.” Mikado rubs the back of his head with an awkward frown. But the mask quickly cheers back up. “How about we move onto a lighter topic…like, what did you do this morning? You and Iroha seemed to have hit it off well.”

“Oh, we have! She’s been trying to teach me how to draw and we’ve also been talking about rainbows…”

“Hahaha, what is with your obsession with rainbows? It's a strange interest.” Mikado chuckles and Teruya huffs, swatting his shoulder.

“Because rainbows are awesome.” Teruya then points at the sun emblem clasp that keeps Mikado’s cape together. “It’s not like you don’t have a motif either. You seem to really like the sun.”

“Oh ho, on the contrary, I love all sorts of celestial symbols. Moons, suns, stars…They’re connected to the wonders of magic.” Mikado smiles gleefully and Teruya feels himself smile back.

The two of them spent the rest of their time together, talking, teasing each other and putting together the puzzle before them. Teruya talked about his time with Iroha and the other students, his exploration of the island with those students, and the strange gifts he would find in the stores. Mikado would add in his own commentary, but he didn’t have many stories to share himself. Despite working hard in researching ways to get out of the killing game, he hasn’t interacted with the other students unless he absolutely had to. Teruya wanted him to make a few connections with his fellow students. But he also didn’t want to force him to socialize when he didn’t want to.

He’ll just have to come up with a plan later.

Teruya sets the final puzzle piece into place, completing the image of the jigsaw puzzle.

It was a beautiful image, made of blue and black. Pretty lights washed the forest with a glow, and trees without leaves pointed towards the dark sky. The flow of stars reached the ground and further and further up until it can no longer be seen on the jigsaw puzzle.

“It’s a really lovely picture.” Teruya said, if only because he couldn’t think of anything else to say. Mikado nods his head.

“I’ll be sure to give you another jigsaw puzzle to solve on your own later.” Mikado replied. His hand carefully runs over the picture. Teruya can’t help but take out his handbook so he can take a picture of it. Once he did, the wizard pulled the box over and moved the completed picture back to where it belonged with the help of his magic. “So, about your assignment…”

“Right. What is it?” Teruya gets up from his seat. Mikado puts the box away in his cape and stands up as well.

“Well, I came up with a ‘case’ for you to solve on your own.” Mikado starts and Teruya tenses a little. He gently pats his shoulder. “Like I said, you don’t have to start it tonight. But if you do decide to take a look, just open the document I will send over via the e-handbook.”

“Alright…I’ll see if I’m in a better mood later, then.” Teruya still felt a little stressed, despite taking a break with Mikado. Maybe he should relax in his room for a while. It would help with his fatigue. “I’ll be going then.”

“Wait.” Mikado raises his hand. Teruya stops in his tracks. “Let me go grab your gift. It might help you relax.”

“Oh, sure.” Teruya nods his head and the wizard disappears in a flash of fire. After only a minute of waiting, Mikado returns with a small object. He barely had to take a look at it to realize that it was a candle with a black cap over it and was purple to match the scent labeled on it. “A…lavender scented candle?”

“I used to come across these candles a lot while working. A…friend used to use these a lot.” Mikado admits, staring down at the candle in his hand. His mask even looked a little…sad. And not in its exaggerated teary expression. But he keeps talking before Teruya could ask if he’s okay. “The scent is quite comforting and has a calming and relaxing effect. If you light it by your bedside, it will help reduce anxiety, manage insomnia…and even help those with memory issues.”

“Wow, how thoughtful.” The tease was light, but the words were genuine. Teruya wasn’t expecting the candle to fix all of his memories. That would be one hell of a miracle if it did. But highly unlikely. Still, he appreciated the gift as Mikado clearly wanted to help him with his health. “I’ll be sure to use it tonight…But, a friend?”

“...We’re no longer friends.” Mikado said, looking away. Teruya mutters a small ‘oh’ before the wizard shakes his head. “But it’s alright. As long as you enjoy the aromatic smell, I will be happy with that.” 

“Okay…Thank you.” Teruya carefully puts the candle away in his bag. Maybe he should use it while he relaxes for the afternoon. “I’ll see you later then?”

“Yes. I’ll see you at dinner.” Mikado then disappears from the library.

Teruya yawns, his fatigue weighing down on him.

He’s been working very hard or socializing a lot these past few days.

Maybe he deserves to have a break in his room for a while.

Your relationship rank with Mikado Sannoji has risen from 3 to 4!

“Huh…This actually tastes good.”

“See? I told you I can make tea.”

Teruya snorts as he lifts the cup to his mouth again. After what happened with Kokoro, he decided to hang out with Mikado. He could’ve easily spent more time investigating or choose to stay in his room to rest. But he had already searched everywhere he could think of, so re-examining places he’s already been to felt a bit redundant. And while taking a break would’ve been nice, he really didn’t want to be alone right now.

Not after finding out Kokoro was planning to use him as a test subject.

Teruya suppresses a shudder and takes a sip of his green tea. It was a bit bitter but he liked the vegetal and earthy taste a lot more than he expected. Mikado takes a sip as well, but he grimaces and squints at his cup.

“I thought green tea was supposed to taste sweet.” The wizard complained. Teruya chuckles as he sets the cup down on the counter. They were both sitting in front of a kitchen countertop with an archway that allows people to watch anyone that cooks in the kitchen while eating their food. A good spot to relax while also keeping an eye on Mikado to make sure he didn’t mess up making their tea. Or set the kitchen ablaze.

He’s still not over the absolute panic Mikado caused after spending a whole day in the infirmary.

“That’s probably because you burned the leaves in the water.” Teruya said, the random bits of knowledge in his head making itself known once more. “The water was too hot so the leaves got burned and became bitter. The leaves are pretty delicate, so you have to be careful.”

“Augh, are you telling me that I still messed up despite making edible tea?” Mikado whined, setting his cup down. Teruya smiles a little, propping his elbow on the table and leaning his chin against the palm of his hand.

“Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I like it the way it is.” Teruya takes another sip to prove his point. Mikado’s mask was still pouting but he seems to have come to terms with his mistake. “I think it also depends on your preference. If you like it bitter, you’d probably want the leaves burnt. But if you like it sweet, you’d want to be careful with the temperature.”

“I think I get it now…” Mikado sighs as he stares down at his cup before reluctantly taking another sip. “...Have you figured out your talent yet?”

“...No.” Teruya frowns, taking his chin off of his palm. “I really don’t get it. I’m physically fit but I’m not exactly good at any specific sport. I’m good at math, to the point I can do calculations in my head, but I somehow suck at geometry. Setsuka tested me with that one earlier, if you’re wondering.” Mikado nods in response. “And stuff like with the watch and the tea are two completely different things and yet I understand the basics of how they work. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Hm…Perhaps your talent is a lot more broader than we think.” Mikado rubs his finger against his chin. He then smiled at him. “Perhaps a teacher?” Teruya laughs.

“Me? A teacher? No way.” He said it with confidence he didn’t remember. But he had a vague sense that someone he knew would’ve been offended at the suggestion. “Besides, what kind of teacher would I be? Even elementary schools have subjects that are taught by different teachers.”

“Really? I wouldn’t know.” The eye of Mikado’s mask go wide. Teruya was once again reminded that Mikado’s lifestyle was completely different from his. At least, from what he could understand of himself with his lack of memories.

“Yeah. At least, I think so. I don’t feel that different from everyone else. As far as I know, I had a pretty normal life.” Teruya said with a sigh, staring down at the cup of tea. His face was reflected in the green liquid, only dissipating when he swirls the cup by the handle. “…I guess that’s what makes it so difficult to figure out my talent. Whatever it is, it’s either too obscure for most people to know about or my skill set is too broad to narrow down the scope…” The thought hits him mid talk and he feels a new worry crawl into his chest. “Unless I don’t have one-“

“You do.”

Teruya blinked, forcing his gaze away from his tea to stare at Mikado. The mask had gone back to its wide, genial smile.

“I mean, there are many talents that require a broad sense of knowledge. Politicians, reporters, managers…They sound distinct, but they all require a decent amount of knowledge in order to do their work effectively.” Mikado pauses before tilting his head. “But if there’s one thing these three have in common, it’s charisma. When the chips are down, you have quite a way with words to bring others to your side. A leader if I ever saw one.” The wizard then lifts the cup of tea to his lips. “…Perhaps, instead of looking at talents that require a specific skill, we should look for ones that have a more…wider reach. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I, uh, think so…” Teruya said, trying to keep his expression neutral as he stared down at his tea. He didn’t really feel much like a leader. He just said what he needed to say and everyone took that as a sign to follow him like he was one. The pressure was a bit much, but he couldn’t turn them away now. He should at least try and help everyone get along as they investigate. And, well, he felt a nagging feeling in his gut when Mikado listed his examples. “…Manager sounds familiar. Maybe my talent is something like that…Something that deals with business?”

“Perhaps! If you feel that is right or it’s something similar, it wouldn’t hurt to look more into it.” Mikado said, taking a sip of his tea before setting it down. He stares at it for a while. “Now, about your conversation with Ms. Mitsume…”

“I-“ Teruya tightens his grip on his tea. “I don’t want to talk about it. It’s all cryptic stuff that I don’t understand anyways.”

“That’s fine. Any information is better than nothing. Especially in a situation where we are lacking almost nothing.” Mikado urges, leaning closer to Teruya. His first instinct was to shut him down. He still felt terrified for his life now that he knew he was chosen as a test subject for Kokoro’s experiment. But he felt that would be too rude to someone that has continued to support him so far. He wanted to change the subject to something else, like Mikado’s upbringing, but from what he can tell from the casual hints he’s been dropping, the wizard didn’t have a normal life. He might be stepping into traumatic territory if he goes with this idea and they are still getting to know each other as friends. But Teruya didn’t want to leave Mikado hanging. Even if he didn’t want to talk about it right now, he deserves at least some kind of answer. Besides, talking about it may reveal clues that were hidden in Kokoro’s words. But how can he talk about it when he can barely bring himself to…?

Teruya grips his coat, only to brush his fingers against a hard cover in his pocket.

Oh, right! His journal! He wrote down information from his talk with Kokoro. He can just hand his journal over to Mikado and let him examine the contents on his own. It’ll keep him from talking too deeply about it while still exchanging clues between each other.

Nodding to himself, Teurya reaches into his pocket and pulls out his journal. He holds it out for Mikado to take, who only stares at it with the blink of his eye. His mask.

Not gonna lie, it’s creepy how it can just…express itself while Mikado’s real face remained the same. He was growing used to this change after the mask had broken in half but it still made him uncomfortable to look at.

“Here. I, uh, wrote down some stuff when I talked with her. I didn’t understand half of what she was talking about but maybe you’ll have a better idea?” Teruya said, waving the journal a bit to try and get Mikado interested in it. He raises his gaze with a tilt of his head and his wide eye.

“She allowed you to take notes?” Mikado asked. Teruya could only give him a shrug as he didn’t bother to ask. In hindsight, he probably should’ve but what’s done is done. And there was no way in hell he was going back to her room. The wizard didn’t question it any further and instead took his journal from his hand. Before he opens it, the expression on his mask softens. “Are you sure you want me to look through it? I’d imagine there are some personal thoughts in this.”

“I mean, yeah, but you only have to read Kokoro’s interrogation. And you won’t come across anything else if you start from back to front.” Teruya puts his hand on the counter. Even if Mikado catches a glimpse of anything else, he trusts him to keep it to himself.

“...I suppose that’s true.” Mikado then opens up the journal from the back and flips through the pages until he reaches the most recent entry, which was Kokoro’s interrogation. The wizard carefully reads his notes and Teruya crosses his legs as he thinks.

Should he give Mikado a gift? He’d probably appreciate one and he had way too much stuff in his backpack from the gift shop. The real question is what should he give him?

He pulls his backpack onto the counter, Mikado’s real eye glancing at it but going back to the journal. Rummaging through the contents to figure out what kind of gift would suit the wizard, he comes across something that he personally liked himself. It was an antique doll that he had gotten from his multiple attempts at the Monocrow Machine and he was tempted to put it on his desk to watch over him. But when he had turned off the light, the pretty doll ended up looking far creepier than he expected in the dark and he decided that maybe he didn’t want to keep it. Or at least, he didn’t want it in his bedroom where he can see it as he sleeps. But would Mikado even want something like this…?

“Having some trouble, Otori-san?” Mikado asked, and he pulled his gaze away from the antique doll. He hesitates before putting the doll up so the wizard can see it better. The wizard looks at it and tilts his head. “...Is that for me?”

“Uhhh, yes?” Teruya scratches the back of his head. “Only if you want it, of course.”

“Sure. It can be useful in my studies for magic after all.” Mikado said, accepting the gift without another thought. He even picked it up to examine the doll more closely while putting the journal down. Teruya blinks his eyes, curious now.

“How so?” He scoots his chair closer to the counter, crossing his arms on top of it. Mikado’s eye seem to light up upon being asked.

“Well, it’s simple really.” The mask smiles widely. “Dolls are common in rituals that involve spirits as some need a conduit to speak through. And while mediums can do it through their own body, it tends to put themselves and other participants in danger if the spirit is quite malicious or too confused to the point of being vicious. So it’s generally safer to communicate with the dead through another physical object than another human being.”

“O-Oh, great.” Teruya couldn’t help but shudder. It was interesting, sure, but that didn’t mean he liked the idea of the supernatural. Mikado chuckles at his reaction. “So, wait. Is that why possessed dolls are a thing? And what if a g-ghost used the doll's body to try and attack someone?”

“Not necessarily.” Mikado rolls his eye as if the idea itself was stupid. “For starters, dolls like this are fragile, so they wouldn’t be very useful to commit violence with it. Not to mention that only an idiot would go through a ritual without putting up protective seals from the beginning. And even if the doll was able to get past all those, again, they are easy to break. Destroy the spirit's connection to the real world, a.k.a. the doll, and they will disappear on the spot.” He then tilts his head towards Teruya with a frown. “Which is why I don’t recommend using humans or any other sturdier object as a vessel. If something goes wrong, it could endanger or even kill people.”

“...Magic is dangerous. And terrifying.” He lets out a laugh that was far from amused. He then clears his throat and straightens his posture, ignoring the sweat the clings to his neck. “Why would you want to do a ritual like that anyways?”

“Hm…” Mikado sets the doll down on the counter. “Remember the fake class trial? Where we had to solve that murder of someone who died in the past?” Teruya nods his head. “I was thinking, if there were other people who had passed away on these islands, perhaps they could give us some information about them. There could be a connection between them and the killing game.”

“How can you be certain of that?” Teruya asked, frowning as he tried to follow Mikado’s logic.

“Think about it. Ms. Mitsume chose these islands for the killing game. Why? Is it just because the islands are isolated from the mainland or is there an underlying motivation behind it?” Mikado said, tilting the doll in his direction. He was silent for a moment as he stared at it. “If learning the history behind these islands can give us a better idea of why this is happening, it could give everyone another layer of motivation to not kill each other. Perhaps even counter her plans as well. And that ‘fake’ murder…it bothers me.” Teruya clenches his fists.

Honestly, that “fake” murder bothered him too.

It gave him this sickening, twisted feeling of familiarity.

He just wasn’t sure why.

“Well, at least this will help your investigation.” Teruya said, gesturing to the doll. Mikado nods his head before picking it up and putting it away. In his cape. Which seems to swallow it whole somehow. He kinda wished his backpack was similar. A hammerspace backpack would be so useful. The amnesiac decides to change the topic. “So…about the journal.”

“Ah, right.” Mikado looks down at it before sliding it over so he can see it better. He points at the notes, going down it like a list. “There’s this man from the portrait that you claim is familiar to you. But of course, you don’t remember him despite his similarity to Mr. Maeda.”

“Y-Yeah…” Teruya stares at his journal and then brings his attention to Mikado’s face. He was completely focused on the journal, not even bothering to glance his way. “Do you…think it’s odd that they look like each other?”

“Look-alikes are a thing in our world. In fact, I believe the chance of a look-alike is about one in a hundred and thirty-five chances. However, for someone to have the exact same features of another without being a twin would be…about one in a billion? No, I think it’s a trillion.” Mikado answers, his finger underlining the words of Yuki being similar to the man in the portrait. “Look-alikes aren’t uncommon, especially in comparison to…seven billion people with a chance of a hundred and thirty-five. But I doubt the man in the portrait looked completely like Yuki. Just enough to look similar without anyone noticing at first glance.”

“Oh, I see…” Somehow, that made sense to him. Even if his gut twisted at the knowledge he just learned. “Maybe I should’ve shown you the portrait.”

“Maybe. But, it’s merely a portrait in the end. And Ms. Mitsume said that he’s dead. I don’t really see how he can be relevant to the killing game now aside from Mr. Maeda being similar to him in appearance.” Mikado hums. “A mastermind that can read other people…that’s not good.”

“How should we counter that? Because I have no idea.” Teruya said. Perhaps it was a bit risky to be honest about his thoughts when an entire group of people were looking to him as a leader. But he really had no idea what to do. Mikado blinks his eye before turning towards him.

“If you want my honesty…not much.” Mikado said without a beat. He slumps his shoulders but the wizard wasn’t done speaking. “The best way to counter it is to mask your emotions as best as possible, to the point of being stoic. And that’s not a skill everyone can do very easily.”

“Yeah…apparently, I’m an open book according to Kokoro. Which is definitely not good for me.” Teruya sighs, leaning over the counter and gripping his knees.

“There is nothing wrong with being open with your feelings, Otori-san. Being able to show sincerity in your emotions helps bridge the gap between other people. That can be helpful in a situation like this as it will keep our group together. Hopefully it may even prevent others from murdering each other.” Mikado reassures and he almost touches his shoulder. But he stops and pulls away before making contact, setting his hand on the counter instead. “Being stoic can be useful against those with ill intent, but makes it harder to befriend people. A skill that helps protect yourself but can leave you quite lonely.”

“Lonely, huh…” Teruya frowns, glancing at his journal. Mikado was staring at it again. “So…I should just keep doing what I’m doing?”

“Personally speaking, yes. Your honesty will develop trust among the participants, even when Ms. Mitsume will try to undermine us with tricks and deceptions. As long as we are strong as a group, there will be less of a chance for everyone to turn against each other.” Mikado clasps his hands together. He seems to be thinking about something. And while Teruya was still uncertain, he appreciated the comfort. Even if it wasn’t a foolproof plan, it was still something he could do.

It was still something he could try.

(No matter how unlikely it was for every individual to listen to the group.)

He silenced his doubts. He had to try and be confident in his choices. For everyone’s sake.

“Anything else you can understand from my notes?” Teruya asked, feeling much calmer than before. Mikado lays his palms flat against the counter, quiet.

“...I don’t know. Two different brains? Resetting and restoring memories? There’s a connection here but I lack the knowledge to understand what it is. And you, a test subject…” Teruya feels another chill go down his spine at the reminder as Mikado slowly raises his gaze towards him. “...I fear we may be in one giant experiment we don’t know the expected results for.”

“...Fuck.” That was all he could say to that. What else can he say? Kokoro was apparently using them as test subjects, and it was a goal none of them had enough information on to know or understand. “I guess all we can do now is figure out how to leave without anyone dying.”

“Yes…” Mikado quietly said. He closes the journal and slides it back to him. “...I’m sorry.” Teruya blinks his eyes in surprise as the wizard gets out of his seat. “For cutting this hang out short, I mean. I must attend the library to research Ms. Mitsume’s motives. While I have a great deal of knowledge, it is more related to magic than anything related to biology or even psychology. Not only that, I will need evidence to back up any conclusion I come to about what her goals are.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” Teruya said, picking up his cup of tea to finish it off. The cup clatters against the plate it rested on. “Good luck investigating. I should probably get back to my room to rest. I’ll see you at dinner then?”

“Of course. I’m sure Ms. Kabuya will cook something wonderful for us all.” Mikado brushes his hands against his pants. Teruya grinned with a glint in his eyes, ready to take the opportunity to tease the wizard for his failed attempt in cooking. But the wizard teleports away in a burst of flames before he could. Which left him all alone.

Teruya frowned.

While he hadn’t gotten to know Mikado all that well and only in a short amount of time, Teruya was pretty certain that he was putting some distance between them. He probably wouldn’t have noticed if the wizard hadn’t come off as so open and friendly with his thoughts from their first meeting. Sure, there were times when he was a bit cagey with his answers, but otherwise he was willing to engage with him in conversations that weren’t completely related to what was going on.

But now, it almost felt like he was purposely avoiding him. Mikado was still helpful in investigations, even prioritizing it above all else, but there was a distance that wasn’t there before.

He sighs before picking up the tea that Mikado had yet to finish. Teruya hoped he didn’t mind drinking the rest as it would be a waste to leave it in the cup.

…Teruya hoped Mikado would allow him to talk with him more. He hadn’t even gotten to thank him for hanging out with him when he was down.

He’ll be sure to do that next time.

Your relationship rank with Mikado Sannoji has risen from 0 to 1!