There was a knock at my door. I closed the binder shut and quickly called out, "Come in!"

The door swung open, revealing Suu swaying back and forth on her heels. She and Papi had returned from dropping off Kii without any issues. "Dinner's ready!" she chirped in Kurusu's voice, her face glowing warmly. "What's wrong?" she asked her expression concerned as she noticed my downcast expression.

"Ah, nothing really," I replied, trying to put on a brave face. I quickly scratched the back of my head and tried to avert my gaze away from her. "Just read some a little-"

But before I could finish my sentence, I felt two blue arms wrap around my neck and a soft pressure resting on my head.

"De... pressing...," I murmured, tensing slightly. As I said, I felt the connection between our minds open, followed by Suu's gasp.

"Katsumi... Katsuragi..." Suu slowly spoke as if tasting the words and finding them bitter. "She was... awful."

"Yes," I breathed, my chest heaving irregularly as what I'd read rushed back into my mind. "She was an awful, awful person...."

Suu must've sensed the effect that line of thinking had on me because she immediately stopped sorting through those memories. We were silent momentarily, with me leaning into her embrace as she hugged me from behind. Then, Suu began to hum. At first, I couldn't recognize the tune, but once it clicked, something strange happened.

I remembered the first time I learned what dinosaurs were and the sheer wonder and awe the sight of monstrous reptiles stirred in me. I remembered Mom taking me through the zoo when I could barely walk. I remembered Dad teaching me how to ride a bike. I remembered cuddling with my grandpa's hammer after I tried to help him install a screen door. I remembered all the good and happy moments, and something inside me softened.

As peaceful and joyous memories flowed in succession, Suu began to sing.

"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question but a lesson learned in time."

Running through a beach, kicking up sand with my brother, sister, and cousins while swinging makeshift lightsabers, and our parents laughed in the distance. Rolling with my dog in the snow. Climbing a dune with Chris, caterpillar-wrestling with Darius, staring out into the rain with Jonathan on my porch...

"It's something unpredictable
But in the end, it's right
I hope you had the time of your life."

Finding a place to call home at college, joining a fraternity. Belting out songs with forty other voices before a huge audience. Exploring the other side of the globe, marveling at the dense jungle from a temple that had existed for centuries. Reclining in the shadows after an eventful day in a city-wide water gunfight.

"So take the photographs and frames in your mind."

"That's not how it goes," I corrected with a smile.

"Hush," Suu sweetly chided.

Graduation. Being embraced by dozens of people, I was worried I'd never see them again. Tears fell on my face as I looked back at the place that had been my home for four years.

"Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while."

Coming here. The sheer wonder I felt at seeing the girls for the first time. Marveling at how I somehow was lucky enough to meet beings straight out of myth. Playing games with them all day long and singing with Mero in the rain, being carried home by Zombina, and flying through clear blue skies with Papi.

"It's something unpredictable
But in the end, it's right
I hope you had the time of your life."

Then... I was looking at myself. I, or maybe 'he,' was smiling warmly, calmly, and gently picking up my small body easily. With a soft poke, he whispered, "Boop."

"It's something unpredictable
But in the end, it's right
I hope you had the time of your life."

"It's something unpredictable
But in the end, it's right
I hope you had the time of your life."

I didn't know what to say, so instead, I conveyed my feelings through our connection. Suu giggled in response, and we both knew nothing else had to be said. When it was time to part ways, I stood up and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," I said, finally vocalizing what I wanted to express. "I needed that."

She hummed and rested her head against my chest. "No, thank you," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "Thank you for being there for me when I was weak and didn't understand what was happening."

"You're welcome, sweetie," I replied, feeling my heart swell with affection. Her words and gesture were like a source of comfort and assurance. Despite all the horrible things happening in the world, there was still beauty and joy. As I gazed into her emerald eyes, I was reminded of the indescribable wonder that life could bring.

On that note, we eagerly made our way to dinner. It was a rather unconventional affair, or about as bizarre as dinner could be in the Kurusu household. Surprisingly, only two plates were broken this time, setting a new record!

Naturally, when it was revealed that Kurusu and I were going out for a drink tonight, that provoked an... unexpected reaction from some of the other residents; I felt a chill run down my spine when Miia and Cerea abruptly pulled me aside in the hallway while Kurusu was still busy with the dishes.

"Romance Master, we've got a major request for you," Miia said, a determined glint in her eyes.

"You want me to ask Kurusu which of you he likes while he's tipsy, don't you?" I sighed.

"Yes!" Miia exclaimed, her expression determined and unwavering in the face of my anticipatory comment. Damn, the mad look was back in her eyes again... "Darling has been making every effort to make us all happy, which makes it so hard to figure out whom he likes the most!"

"Indeed," Cerea added, her expression just as grim, "Master's behavior of late has been hard to decipher, and we all assumed he would already have chosen someone to marry by now..."

I sighed, the annoyance clear on my face. I didn't spend much time with Miia and Cerea, so maybe I had just been out of the loop lately, but I had thought the marriage was a thing of the past. Papi certainly seemed to have forgotten about it, and Suu and Mero never gave it a second thought. I still wasn't sure what Rachnera's opinion on the matter was, though...

Plus, I had hoped that Cerea's newfound focus on her MON duties had given her something else to focus on. But it looked like she was more than capable of juggling multiple tasks. Great.

"Look, I can't guarantee that the topic will even come up," I told them honestly, much to their disappointment, "But guys usually talk about girls when they get hammered together, so who knows?"

"So you'll tell us everything, right?" Miia asked, giving me her best Puppy Dog Eyes.

Ugh...

"Not everything, but if it's pertinent to you, then yeah," I promised, looking away from her pleading gaze. "But if he wants me to keep something secret, I will."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Miia squealed, pulling me into a tight hug with, thankfully, only her arms. "You're the best Romance Master ever!"

"Gk," I replied, struggling to breathe, "N-No problem... now please... let go!"

"Oh, right... sorry!" Miia released me, looking a tad embarrassed. "We appreciate this; thank you so much!"

Despite their enthusiasm, I couldn't help but sympathize with both sides. The girls didn't deserve such a huge life decision delayed by outside factors, and Kurusu certainly didn't deserve to have such a life-altering decision forced upon him. It was a tricky situation, and I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed with Smith for dropping that bomb what felt like ages ago.

My sobering expression didn't go unnoticed. "Aki, are you okay?" Cerea asked, her voice full of concern as she leaned closer to me. "Perhaps it would be best to call off the night..."

"No, it's alright," I waved away her worries, "just remembered something, that's all. But now I'm quite curious... have either of you ever tried drinking?"

"I have!" Miia answered, much to my surprise, "Lamias usually start drinking at a young age, though only in small doses, and usually just wine... any other kind of hard alcohol might as well be poison to us."

"Really?" I asked, now intrigued. "That's interesting... What about beer?"

"Um... I don't know, sorry," Miia responded, red-faced. "I don't know much about that stuff..."

"Huh," I muttered, rubbing my beard. "Then why do you start drinking early?"

"Oh, that's to prepare us for how our bodies are affected during the... organized events lamias frequently have!" She said, quickly correcting herself. "Yeah, those!"

"Riiiight," I drawled, well aware of her original intentions. Though the concept of getting lamia youth drunk off wine to prepare them for the orgies of adulthood seemed a bit unsettling to me. Maybe that was just my cultural beliefs being projected onto liminal society, but... different strokes, I guess. I turned towards Cerea. "How about you?"

"I have not," Cerea said, shaking her head. "I have only recently become of drinking age for centaurs and haven't had much opportunity or desire to do so since I left to search for a worthy master."

"Hm..." I continued rubbing my chin (I liked doing that) and mulled my thoughts, "Well, why don't we try out your first drink sometime? Not tonight, but maybe one of these nights, we could all hang out at the house, have a few drinks, and play games. It'd be a great opportunity to relax and have some fun!"

"Oooh, that'd be fun!" Miia exclaimed excitedly, swaying with enthusiasm.

"I... suppose it would be a little issue, so long as I am with all of you," Cerea eventually allowed, though uncertainty still lingered on her face. "Though I would hate to lose control of myself..."

"Don't worry, I won't let you go blackout or anything like that," I reassured her. I'd have to do some research first and make sure everyone here could drink legally. If I remember correctly, everyone at the house was between eighteen and twenty-four, though I wasn't sure if that applied to Suu.

"Then I shall look forward to it," Cerea replied warmly. "At the very least, it will be a new experience."

"Absolutely," I agreed, "It oughta be a hoot and a half."

"Hey guys," Kurusu joined us, hands in his pockets as he walked up to us. "Bando, do you want to go now?"

"Sure," I replied, and the two of us began to head out. "Catch y'all later!" I shouted to everyone else in the house, which Kurusu echoed. There was a chorus of farewells in response.

"All right, you know any bars around here?" I asked him as we walked out into the cool summer night air.

"Hm... yeah, I know a place," Kurusu answered, already taking the lead. "It's a bit of a walk, but it should have great deals, even on a Wednesday."

"Awesome," I said as I followed him onward. "Let's get going then!"

To be continued!