We just finished a fantastic day of playing video games by ordering pizza for dinner - what a perfect way to end the day!

Figuring out what every person wanted was unsurprisingly a difficult task, and determining how many pizzas would be enough to feed the twelve people (with ten of them being liminals) was even more challenging. Fortunately, it was all on the Cultural Exchange's Dime, so we decided to be generous with the purchases. After getting twenty pizzas, the entire MON Squad left, albeit sluggishly, to carry out whatever mission Smith had assigned them.

"Maybe cramming our faces with food wasn't the best idea right before work," Zombina complained, holding her stomach as she shuffled to the front door.

"I just really hope no one gets mad at me if I get naus-urp!" Manako squeaked in panic and covered her mouth, going rigid with shock. "Excuse me!" she shouted at a high-pitched pitch that almost made my ears bleed.

"It didn't seem like much to me," Tio cheerfully commented as she slipped her shoes on.

"Says the glutton who devoured at least four pizzas all by herself," Doppel remarked sarcastically, her hands firmly planted on her hips. "Some of us have to be wary of our weight here!"

I inquired, "Can't you alter your size at your discretion, making that argument inconsequential?" I was seeing them off as Kurusu was tidying up, and the rest of the girls either were assisting him or were still digesting their meals.

Doppel smirked. "Well, yeah," she admitted. "But it's the principle of the thing."

"Kay," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Anyway, nice to have you guys over."

"It was fun!" Tio replied, beaming. "We should do it again sometime!"

I would, too, but I wished it wasn't too soon, for Kurusu's sake. He had planned to do much more today, but he never complained. To help him out, I was going to go out of my way tomorrow to assist him between my counselor session and the meeting with Draco.

"Let's make it a weekly event," Zombina grinned excitedly. "That would be awesome!"

"I-I-I wouldn't mind that..." Manako meekly added.

"We'll see," I answered, "We have to see what Kurusu wants first. It'd be nice actually to prepare beforehand, too."

"Eh, whatever happens, happens," Zombina said, shrugging. "I guess we should get going then."

"Probably. Have fun with Smith!" I waved them off. "Manako, I'll see ya tomorrow morning, right?"

"R-Right," the monoeye answered as she filed out. "Bye..."

One after the other, they all left until there was only me and Zombina, who seemed to be lingering. She had a pronounced frown on her face and seemed to be uncertain about something.

"You Good?" I asked.

"Hmm," she muttered, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "Are you sure you still want to meet with this Draco Chick?"

I nodded. "Yes, I do. I won't try to 'fix' or 'save' her but rather talk with her. You'd be surprised at how much talking to someone can help positively."

An uncharacteristic half-smile crossed her stitched-up face. "Don't I know it?" It quickly faded when she shrugged. "Whatever, I just thought I'd ask. Hook up with me once you're done with Mana-chan, and we'll hash shit out."

"Uh... phrasing?" I said.

"Heh, maybe," Zombina shot me a wink, "G'night, Aki."

"Goodnight, Zombina."

At that, she left.

The rest of the evening was relatively peaceful. Everyone was relaxed, lounging on the couches or retreating to their rooms. Kurusu was still hard at work cleaning, but thankfully, he wasn't alone: Suu was in roomba mode, diligently scrubbing the floor, and Miia assisted him with all other tasks.

I bent over and gently prodded Suu as she scurried around. "Hey," I said, "Would you like to spend the night in my room? I have a special surprise for you."

Suu happily hopped in reply.

With a bright smile, I waved at her and headed to Centorea's room. I had yet to congratulate her on joining MON, so I thought I should take this opportunity to do so.

"Hey, Centorea!" I called out, tapping on her door. "Are you busy?"

Her door slid open, revealing the blonde centaur. It wasn't easy to look past her, but I could still make out the only traditional Japanese room in the house. "Greetings, Bando-sama," she welcomed me with a slight bow, "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to offer my congratulations on the MON situation," I said, "Even though we had a bit of a hectic time when we got the news."

Centorea wistfully smiled as she agreed, "They certainly were. Thank you for taking the time to congratulate me personally. You significantly influenced my decision to join MON's noble cause."

"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in disbelief. "How so?"

Centorea explained, "I suppose you said something once that influenced me. You mentioned how your counselor position would allow you to do 'real good.' That, combined with the doubts I had been feeling about myself, ultimately led me to this path I'm on now."

I couldn't recall saying something to her like that, but if she was confident that I did, then I must have. It's even better if it brought her joy.

I smiled with assurance. "I'm sure you'll make an excellent fit for it. You possess the strength and determination to succeed in this field." Centorea would need to learn about discipline and the often distressing world of liminal crime, but I had no doubt she could handle it.

"I am truly grateful for your support," Centorea said with a small smile, her nervousness fading away. "I can think of no higher purpose than to fight for justice and right the wrongs of this world."

"They're lucky to have you, Centorea," I assured her, "When do you start?"

"My training begins a week from now," she answered, "Beyond that, I am unsure when I will go on active duty."

"Gotcha. I'll let you get back to reading the large book that Zombina left for you, so I'll take my leave now."

Centorea nodded. "Indeed. It promises to be an enlightening tome, if also admittedly dry," she sighed. "Also... Bando-sama?"

Centorea nodded. "Indeed. It promises to be an enlightening tome, if also admittedly dry," she sighed. "Also... Janai-sama?"

"Hm?"

"If you like... call me Cerea, from now on. It is what my friends call me."

Unlike when she'd asked Kurusu to do the same thing, she didn't appear to be blushing or embarrassed. Instead, she seemed much calmer. Perhaps it was because she didn't have the same pressure or anxiousness of disclosing her feelings to someone she was attracted to.

Either way, her words made me happy.

"Alright, Cerea. You can call me Akihiro or just Aki from now on."

"That sounds agreeable," Cerea said with a smile, "Then I wish you a pleasant night, Aki."

"See ya, Cerea."

It was growing late, and I still had one more person I wanted to speak with before the day was over. I searched the Kurusu household and eventually spotted her in the upstairs hallway, ready to enter her bedroom.

"Ah, Counselor-san," Rachnera said politely as her eyes swept over me upon my approach. "Do you require any assistance?"

I shook my head. "No, I was just wondering if you still wanted to hear what I discussed with Smith earlier?"

She looked at me in a state of hushed astonishment. "Are you serious? I assumed you would be keeping this to yourself and not informing any of us about it."

"I didn't want to spoil the atmosphere," I confessed, "Moreover, I didn't want to shock Miia in front of everyone. It could be settled easily tomorrow, so I thought it would be best to tell her afterward."

"If it only involves Miia," Rachnera queried, "why are you informing me, a newcomer, about it?"

I shrugged. "It seems you were eager to know, so why not tell you? Are you still interested in hearing the answer?"

Rachnera was silent for a moment, lost in thought. She then sighed, shrugging her delicate shoulders. "Alright, let's hear it. What is it?"

"Papi and I encountered a Dragonewt girl observing the house today. After conversing with her for a while, it became evident that she had a fondness for Miia and had been secretly following her lately. Draco (what she said her name was) practically commanded me to tell her everything about Miia, so I agreed to pacify her since I was not in the mood to be strangled or injured."

"That doesn't seem to have helped much," Rachnera observed, her expression peculiar as she gazed at me.

"Yeah, I know I'm just a puny human and didn't have much choice," I told her, regretting the hurt I saw flicker across her face. I took a deep breath, trying to hide my embarrassment. "I spoke with Smith and Zombina, and we decided it would be best if I tried to handle this situation with Draco and Miia alone. If that doesn't work, then Smith will use her resources to ensure Draco won't be an issue."

Rachnera hummed softly, folding her arms across her chest. She remained silent, her expression unreadable.

"So... uh, yeah. That's it." I finished.

"Interesting," she remarked skeptically, "Why are you going out of your way to help this person, who doesn't deserve it? You have no obligation to do so, and it seems like you're merely indulging in some misguided hero complex of yours."

"Call it an attempt at damage control," I sighed. I shouldn't have been surprised that Rachnera was so blunt about this. "I'm just trying to make things better. I don't expect to change Draco's feelings, considering how passionate she was, but I'll try my best anyway."

"Even if that means putting yourself in peril? Not every liminal can exercise self-control."

For someone who despised pretense, Rachnera was incredibly adept at masking her genuine emotions. It made me feel quite melancholy, being aware of her past without her disclosing it to me. It would have been best if she had told me, but I suppose there was nothing I could do about it.

"No, they don't," I agreed. "But that doesn't mean their intentions are malicious or their actions always harmful. They may just be misguided."

"Hmph," she scoffed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Maybe you have a point. But this day has been exhausting, and discussing morality and your need to be a hero is more than I can handle right now. Goodnight, Counselor-San."

I snorted. "Yeah, goodnight, Rachnera."

After quickly changing into my comfiest pajamas, I anxiously awaited my final appointment. It didn't take long before it was time to go.

A loud knock sounded on the door, and in walked Suu, her small frame dragging the kiddy pool she usually used for sleeping. She often switched between my room and Papi's, which was why she had been absent when Rachnera abducted me the previous night.

"Hey there," I kindly greeted as I plopped down on the floor and rested my back against the bed. I set a book to my side and asked, "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes!" Suu nodded vigorously, almost sprinting towards me. "Suu made new friends and enjoyed playing with them!"

I chuckled with delight. "That's my girl! I was thinking, since I haven't been able to teach you much lately, that maybe we should try something new. Look here," I said, holding up the book. "I was thinking of reading you some bedtime stories while we are connected telepathically."

"Okay!" She said, tilting her head curiously. "Why?"

"There are likely many words and ideas that you may not yet comprehend," I began to explain, "So I thought that if you could read my mind as I read this book out loud, you'd gain more insight from my thoughts that would better explain them to you." I chuckled nervously. "I'm unsure if I'm conveying this the best way..."

"That's great!" Suu replied cheerfully, already settling comfortably onto my lap. "I'm eager to learn more!"

I was filled with a newfound sense of pride that I had never experienced before.

"Let's do this," I said with enthusiasm. Her head feeler slowly caressed my neck and then moved up to the top of my head. Her other feelers wrapped around my body, giving me a comforting embrace. Suu let out a giggle, evidently delighted.

"You good?" I asked.

"Mm!"

I opened the book with eager anticipation, my heart thumping in my chest. I had carefully chosen this classic tale for her, hoping she would enjoy it. As I cleared my throat, I glanced up at her before beginning. "'In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit...'" I said with a smile, ready to start the story.

To be continued!