I hadn't noticed my hunger until I wolfed down my third helping and was still going strong. Even Papi, who usually consumed a good portion more than her weight, was beginning to look at me with surprise.

"Heh...I guess you worked up quite the appetite today," Kurusu warmly chuckled as I heaped another scoop of rice onto my plate.

"Mmf," I grunted as I swallowed, "You think?"

"Well, today has been rather eventful for you," Cerea noted stiffly, shooting a non-accusatory glance at Kii, who'd been convinced to stay for dinner tonight. The little dryad pretended not to notice as she ate an apple. "It is quite remarkable you are well enough to join us at all."

"Yes," I responded distractedly, "And I even got an edgy scar as a reminder of the ordeal, so I can be all reflective and broody about it later on if I wanted."

"Oh, how sublime it is! I can vividly picture it in my mind's eye," Mero exclaimed, her webbed fingers pressed against her cheeks in awe, "Even while brutally defaced in the line of duty, the stalwart counselor still has a heart filled with anguish and turmoil as he's torn between risking his life and striving to rescue the poor, helpless liminals!"

"I think I may barf," Rachnera muttered dryly.

I snorted. "Maybe 'brutally defaced' is a bit of a stretch... but otherwise, yeah."

Mero may have overstated the situation, but her words were not far from reality. In any case, I would be far more vigilant when dealing with some of the more traditionally aggressive liminal species.

Though if I were to be completely honest with myself, today had been more trying than any of the days that had come before. I was putting on a brave face for my own sake and the sake of everyone else. So long as I acted as if everything was alright, it would be until I could finish up with Draco and be alone to process everything. If I were back in my home, I would have been able to quickly turn to my best friends, a few guys who would always lend an ear to whatever I had to say, just like I did for them. They would have been able to help me put all of the day's events into perspective and find a way for me to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

That wasn't the case anymore. Even though I had grown close to some people in this world, they still couldn't compare to the friends and family in my life for so long. I pondered the thought but quickly dismissed it, deciding that it was something I could think about later when I didn't have other pressing matters to attend to.

Ding-dong!

My stomach lurched. Hold on; it was only six! What the hell was Draco thinking?!

"I'll get it," I quickly offered as I sprang to my feet, inadvertently hitting my knee against the table leg as I rushed. I suppressed a wince of pain but couldn't hide how much that hurt. "I believe it's for me."

Kurusu was already standing up and waving me off with an easy smile. "Please, let me take care of this. I think I should be the one to answer," he assured me.

I reluctantly agreed to Kurusu's request, remembering that it was probably Zombina coming to discuss our plan for Draco. I felt pretty sluggish compared to Kurusu's enthusiasm, and as he made his way to the door, Mero, Miia, and Cerea, all looked at me inquisitively. Papi, Suu, Rachnera, and Kii continued to eat, though Kii seemed to be taken aback by the situation.

"Were you expecting someone?" Mero asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I have an important errand to run this evening. I won't be gone for too long."

Miia looked at me, completely stunned. "What is so urgent that it can't wait until tomorrow?"

"Miia is right, Aki," Cerea said, her gaze fixed on me. "You need to take it easy."

"Maybe," I replied, taken aback by their intensity. "But this is something I have to do."

"Maybe you should phrase that a little less ominously, Counselor-san," Rachnera commented as she bit into some beef.

I threw her an exasperated look. I guess I was foolish in assuming she would support me just because she was the only one at the table aware of what I was trying to do. Oh well. I'd inform them all after I spoke to Draco first. If not, they would never let me go, and consequently, Draco would lose the little faith she had in me, destroying my opportunity of peacefully settling this stalker issue.

Once that was done, I could finally be done with today.

"It's not that bad," I corrected her before digging into my food with a newfound enthusiasm. "It's just another piece of counseling work I must take care of before today is done."

"'Counselor stuff,' huh? Is that what we're calling it now?" asked a gruff voice behind me.

"Oh, Zombina-san!" Cerea's eyes widened in surprise as she quickly got to her feet, barely avoiding tipping the table over, and gave a sharp salute. "Welcome!"

Zombina snorted with amusement. "Relax, rookie. We're off-duty now, so you don't have to be so buttoned up when there's no brass around."

"Yes, ma'am!" Cerea lowered the salute but still stood at attention.

"Excuse me," Mero said, her bright blue eyes shifting between Zombina and me, "but if it's not 'counselor stuff,' then what is it?"

"Yeah, Zombina," I asked, leaning back and tilting my head to better look at her upside-down, "What else would you call it?"

"A date, duh," she responded with a smirk.

...

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!"

Damn it, Zombina.

As Miia and Cerea bombarded me with questions faster than I could keep up with, Rachnera was busy in fits of laughter, her arthropod body shaking with each chuckle. Kurusu chuckled and patted my back in a comforting manner while Papi, Suu, and Kii looked on in confusion at the sudden outburst of shouting. However, Mero kept staring through me with an unnerving and worrying gaze.

"It's not a da-" I caught myself when I thought about it. Going out, alone, with a girl to a most likely secluded location... damn it. "Fuck," I groaned, palming my face. "Why did you do this to me?"

"'Cause it's funny," Zombina answered, resting an elbow on my head and leaning forward, "And I still think it's a bad idea," she said much quieter.

"Hmm," I uttered, ignoring the warmth rising to my cheeks due to her proximity. "Listen, everyone, can we please discuss this later? I promise I'll explain everything when I get back home."

"Well... I guess so," Miia conceded before smiling cutely and giggling. "But I expect you to keep that promise, Romance Master!"

Kurusu said as he collected the empty dishes, "Let's not make this too late, okay? You need your rest."

"Thanks, Mom," I answered dryly, rising to help him out.

Once everything was tidied away in the dishwasher, I quickly left the kitchen with Zombina and headed for the foyer. Thankfully, Papi and Suu were too busy playing with Kii to notice us going, and the rest of the group was already in the living room. However, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as I noticed Mero's lingering gaze on me. It was probably best that I talked to her as soon as I could to clear the air.

"Okay, now that that's dealt with," Zombina started, hands on her hips as she turned around to face me, "Are you sure you want to go through with this? 'Cause I can kick that dragonewt's ass and settle this real quick for ya."

"I've said it a billion times, and I won't change my mind," I answered, tired of the endless questioning.

Zombina regarded me for a while, giving me an uncharacteristic frown. Eventually, she let out a deep sigh and folded her arms.

"Fine," she said, heterochromatic eyes boring into me, "But you and I are gonna talk after. I got a lot I wanna say right now, but this ain't the time for it."

"... Should I be worried?" I asked hesitantly.

Zombina's expression shifted drastically from a stern demeanor to an alluring one in a flash. She winked at me, flashing a mischievous smile, and looped her arm around my neck. "It all depends on how this goes," she responded in a coy, unhelpful manner.

Wonderful. My bed was looking more and more attractive as the night went on.

"Kay," I said my desire to banter fading away. "So, what's the plan? Are you going to follow us and keep your distance?"

Zombina nodded, though she didn't let go of me. "Yeah, dragonewts don't have the strongest noses as far as liminals are concerned, so I'll be able to be close enough in case things get hairy for ya. If something comes up, just shout the codeword, and I'll come running."

"And what's the codeword?"

"'Braaaaaaaaaaaaaains,'" she answered with a smirk.

Despite the not-so-funny joke, I couldn't help but snort. "That would be kinda tasteless, wouldn't it?" I joked.

"I promise you won't hurt my delicate sensibilities," Zombina responded, pulling away. "I should probably get in position now. See ya on the other side, aight?" As she said that, she smacked me on the ass and then walked out.

...

I'm so fucking tired.

I'd better get myself into a better mood quickly; Draco will be here soon, and I must be prepared. I can't believe how busy my life has become.

To be continued!