The doors of the train opened, and both Kouji and Teru got off along with many other crowded strangers. For her, this was a strange place, but for him, it was all too familiar.

“How far are we?” She asked him, to which the answer was only about a 10 or so minute walk.

“I wonder if the headmistress is still in town.” He wondered out loud, that was news for her though. She thought that the woman would’ve been either back at her own home, or took care of him last night.

“Really?” She eyed him suspiciously. “So you were just alone last night?”

“Hmm? Yeah?” He answered, lying to protect Anastasia. “Also, I never told anyone about you storming out, so you shouldn’t get in trouble.” Mixing a false statement with a true one turned out to be his undoing. Teru was pretty good at noticing tells, and she could see the difference between his words. And she was certain on which one was the lie.

“So you slept all by yourself?” She pushed on the note, as he tried to make his way to his uncles place. This conversation was beginning to make him feel a bit uncomfortable. “I guess that means Anastasia just went back to her place when it was time?”

“Yeah?” He replied nervously. “Is there a problem?” A part of him could tell that she knew something was up, but he wasn’t going to crack so easily.

“Just thought it was odd that she’d just leave you all alone.” She said, not revealing why she was so suspicious. Honestly, She would never think to admit it to anyone, but Teru might’ve had a small crush on him… Okay fine, it was a big crush, but her pride was getting in the way of that. If there was something that might force her hand, even just a little bit, then surely knowing a girl spent the night over at his place would tip it that way. “Just seems like something she wouldn’t do.”

“Well she did, so don’t worry about it.” He decisively ended the conversation. It was a good thing for him, that they didn’t have far to go. Otherwise, she would’ve eventually gotten confirmation on her suspicions.

The two of them walked up the steps leading to the entrance. Each step felt heavier on his legs. His feet got more and more tense as they climbed the stairs. His breathing became difficult, as they reached the top. And it wasn’t because of how many steps there were.

“You all right?” It was plain for her to see that something was wrong. Of course, he denied it, but she wasn’t going to pretend wool was in her eyes. “Come on, after everything you said about being honest of your feelings?”

“Fine.” He relented to her. “I’m terrified, you happy?” At first, he was certain she’d tease him, but Teru was very understanding.

“That’s fine.” She said, putting a hand over his shoulder. “It’s why you brought me, right?” She pointed to him telling her about when he mentioned her reason for being here. “So I’m here to give you that push.” Of course, he was more thinking of a push as in moral support. However, he should know this girl well by now. Physical is closer to the type of pushing she does. Which is exactly why she just gets behind him and pushes the boy straight to the door.

Now it’s the moment of truth for him. There’s only one thing separating him from his uncle, so with a lot of hesitation, Kouji knocks on the door. It feels like an eternity, no more than even that, for someone to answer the door.

So many thoughts are rushing through his mind. Is his uncle even home? Or maybe he heard them outside, and doesn’t want to see his own nephew at all. However, those fears were quelled, when the door cracks open.

“Who is it?” Yokakura looked out the tiny gap that he created. His eyes widen when he see Kouji standing out there. “Kouji? What are you doing here?”

“H-hello.” Kouji can barely get any words out. “I… I… Can we come in?” That was the best he had at the moment.” His uncle looks further out, and see Teru standing not too far behind. She had on a weird smile, and wave of the hand.

“Yeah, sure.” There was a look of disbelief on the older man. Never once did he think he’d be seeing Kouji right at his doorstep. Especially considering how the boy left this place. Even then, he still let them in.

“Wow.” Kouji couldn’t help but be impressed at how nice the living room was. Compared to the last time he was here, it was really clean. Spotless, actually.

Before, there were dishes that were stacked in the sink, dirty clothes scattered across the floor, and the smell was near indescribable. The fact that he lived there for so long was depressing, but this place was a far cry to what it was before.

“Your home is really nice.” Teru gave a compliment, hoping to try and keep things positive for Kouji’s sake. She was being very uncharacteristically polite.

“Thank you.” Yokakura replied. “I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning lately.” That statement was pointed towards clearing up Kouji’s confusion.

“Okay.” Kouji took a sit on the couch. “Well, I’m sure you know that I’m not just here to pay a simple visit.”

“Yeah, a bit of a shame it’s that way.”

“Maybe I should give you two some privacy.” Teru knew when she wasn’t needed, and this was one of those times. Instead, the kitchen seemed a better location for her at this time. With that, she left the two alone in silence.

“…” As much as Kouji rehearsed the scene in his mind, he wasn’t sure what to say right now, or even how to say it. This just wasn’t something he wanted to mess up on. “So, how have you been?” He asked, with a very ginger tone.

“Fine.” His uncle had the same awkward tone as himself. Believe it or not, but this was some of the most talking either had done with the other. “So, how’s school?”

“Fine…” Kouji responded. “But you don’t have to pretend you’re okay with it, though.”

“Look, I’m just worried.” His uncle turned more talkative. “Being the only boy there, what were you thinking?” That hardly sounded like a normal life for anyone, which had been the case so far for Kouji.

“Of course I knew the risks.” Kouji defended his choices. “I didn’t even want to do it at first, but come on, think of the opportunity.” Obviously, it wasn’t an easy chance to just pass up, even if it did sound a bit ridiculous. Though, there was a speed bump along the way, because of his morals. “Ugh, this is just like before.” He got frustrated over their arguing. Things were getting nowhere at this rate. When things were coming to a head, there was a knock at the door.

“A lot of guests coming over.” Yokakura muttered to himself, as he slowly went to check on his other uninvited guest. This was getting to be a strange morning for him, and it was about to get even weirder “What the?!” His sudden outburst scared Kouji so badly, that the boy leapt out of his seat. What could’ve caused that reaction?

“Um, who’s there?” He asked, but the voice on the other side of the door also made his spine tingle.

“Kouji, is that you?” He couldn’t believe it, but it really was the voice of his headmistress out there. “What are you doing in there?” In a fit a rage, she slammed into the door.

“Ahh!” The force caught his uncle off-guard. The man ended up tumbling backwards as she rushed inside.

“I can’t believe you’d go so far to kidnap him.” The two of them looked at her like she was insane. They had no clue as to why she jumped to that conclusion.

“Um, no?” Kouji said, bewildered at the sight before him.

“I can’t believe you!” Yokakura got up in a flash. “You haven’t changed one bit, always thinking the worse of me.”

“Can you really blame me?” She turned against him in an instant. “After everything you’ve done, I think it’s an apt belief.” The two of them began to engage in a verbal battle. With the commotion, Teru came back into the living room.

“What’s going on here?” Everything happening before her seemed like a dream. Was that really her principle fighting with some man she barely knew? All she did was step into the kitchen for a few minutes, how did things turn out like this?

“Just more of the usual stuff that happens to me.” He looked very unamused with all this. Why did the headmistress decide to show up here of all times. Well, Kouji came here for one reason, and he was going to make sure that things were going to go his way. “Okay, can you two please shut up!”

His yell stopped the two dead in their tracks. They looked at him with a little bit of fear. It was a small trick Kouji had learned back in his younger days to get people’s attention. All he had to do, was raise his voice in a certain tone, and have a rage filled look in his eyes.

“Thank you.” Flipping off that switch, he returned back to his normal demeanor. “Headmistress, I know you don’t care for him… But I came here to try and make things right.” With that, he approached his uncle, no longer with that fear in his body.

“I see you wanted to do the same thing I had in mind.” When Yukakura said that, it was a bit of a surprise for him. However, as it turned out, that was the real reason for his uncle’s visit earlier in the week. It was clear when Kouji entered this house, that things were different than the second-to-last time they saw each other.

“So what happened?” When he left this place, it was a mess. Not only that, but his uncle was a bit of a drunkard, who would spend a lot of his hours wasting away. The only times he ever left he house, was to get food or work some meager job.

Now this place had gone through an 180, and his uncle had cleaned up a lot as well. Kouji didn’t want to admit it back when they saw each other at the school, but he could sense that something was different. The way the man held himself was completely different.

This change was caused, as a result of Kouji’s decision to leave, and a little help from a kind stranger. When the boy left, there was a realization that he gained. One that should’ve happened long ago, when it might’ve mattered more to him. But that doesn’t mean he should just give up, just because he was late on it.

So Kouji had found the way, to not allow himself to be held back. It was a bit of a funny thought for him. That his own nephew, who was almost half his age had figured things out on his own. And that’s when things started to turn the way they were now.

“I’m so sorry.” Kouji said, when he heard about that. “You came to me, and I pushed you away.”

“No.” His uncle was having none of that. “I’m the one that should be apologizing, for everything that happened after your parents…”

“But dad was your brother. I should’ve been more considerate.”

“Kouji, you were only a child. I was the adult, and it was my job to make sure you didn’t fall into the wrong places… Heh, some job I did.” At this point, this wasn’t going to end, so Teru stepped in.

“Hey.” She whispered to Kouji. “I think we get the point, can you two get to the part where you forgive yourselves.”

“Right.” Kouji replied. “So what do you say? Second chance?” He held out his hand.

“…” Yukakura met his hand, and the two engaged in a proper handshake. “Second chance.”