The moment Tanaka-nii-san got Shizuka’s call, he sped over, kicking up wind and filth as he returned.

Is this guy even trying to hide his superhuman abilities?

"Welcome to my humble abode, Nagisa-chan." He announced upon arrival.

"Well, it sure is... humble," I looked around again, letting the word drag on my tongue, "Maybe a little too humble, if I could add. Sorry if this stings, but can't you leave this shithole already?"

Tanaka-nii-san gasped dramatically and threw me a glare.

"Silence! You fail to grasp the true essence of this place," he snapped back, his hand gesturing toward the walls as if they carried ancient wisdom, "Feel it! Nature and freedom interlocking in perfect harmony! Why stay trapped inside some grand mansion, when nature itself grows lonely?"

No... I think it’s you who’s lonely, though.

Meanwhile, Shizuka went on her own little mission, flipping through corners and drawers, no doubt futilely searching for porn mags in the "room."

Tanaka-nii-san and I sat down on the couch. "I wanted to ask if you won’t even give us water to drink as your guests, but fine, I won’t say it," I muttered, my head resting lazily on my hand.

"I’m truly sorry," he said, standing up with the most awkward sincerity, "Uhm... So do you need, say, engine oil or...?"

"You can stop mocking me now, jerk," I rolled my eyes, "I’m not actually thirsty, just forget it."

"Is that so? I’m relieved then."

This bastard! If a girl says something like that, she means the exact opposite!

Oi! Get me something nice to eat already! Dense idiot!

Ah, but wait...

While ignoring Shizuka, who had clearly given up her desperate porn hunt and was now sitting with a monk book in hand, I let my eyes wander.

On the floor, right beside Tanaka-nii-san’s thin, hopeless mattress, stood a frame...

It was Kuro, his younger brother. The one who... Gojo just wasted without a second thought.

How does Tanaka-nii-san even cope with that?

Is he truly alright, or just putting up this thick mask of bravery?

I shifted closer and placed a careful hand on his broad shoulder.

"Hey... Uhm, about K-Kuro..." I began, hesitating as the words slipped out, "Are you… alright?"

Tanaka-nii-san’s gaze fell on the frame.

"Your kindness never ceases, Nagisa-chan," he smiled, but it was painfully bitter, "Rest assured, I am fine. Kuro and the others will forever live in my heart and memories."

"Yeah," I frowned softly, recalling those times, "He used to encourage everyone in our group. Like, every time things got dicey, he was just... a morale boost, you know? I learned a lot from him too."

"Indeed." Tanaka-nii-san gave a short laugh, though it carried no real humor, "He often felt like my elder brother, teaching and scolding me because of my lack of common sense. Ever since our parents died, it had always been mostly just us. From infancy, through the super ninja program, to our ordainment as Talents... I never felt alone, because Kuro was... he was..."

This was too sad... Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up, after all.

I thought about embracing him, but suddenly an arm pulled us both together.

Shizuka had embraced us tightly, tears dripping freely down her cheeks.

F... Fool... Don’t cry all of a sudden, or else... I... I will cry too.

We couldn’t stop it. The memories hit too hard, too sudden, and before long the three of us burst into quiet, broken whimpers.

"It... It was my fault; I was shortsighted," Shizuka whispered between sobs.

"No, don’t say that," Tanaka-nii-san covered his face to obscure his tears which slipped beneath his hand. "It was inevitable. As we crossed into the barrier, our fates were sealed."

"But..." I tried to assure them, "our being alive is not in vain. We will preserve the memories, and we will stay alive and strong for our fallen."

They both nodded, and the gasping and sobbing finally began to fade.

Just then, I felt something creeping underneath my skirt, so subtle I almost ignored it.

"Damn pervert! Can’t you let the melancholic moment live a little?!" I snatched Shizuka’s hand from inside my skirt.

"Sorry, sorry," she sniffled, still red-eyed from crying. "I just… didn’t like how heavy the mood was getting, so I thought I’d lighten it a little."

"By touching my thighs like that?! Well, mission accomplished, you succubus!"

Tanaka-nii-san’s laughter cut through the tension, drawing our attention back to him.

He wiped away a tear. "Your worry is misplaced, Nagisa-chan. We are going to be okay. We are strong after all."

Still shoving Shizuka away, I nodded.

Yes... as long as we have each other, we can rebuild.

The past is but a scar; Not a frozen state of being, but a picture.

I swear that dreadful day will never repeat itself again. I swear it.

By high noon, the card game we were playing had gotten painfully boring.

Except when I used Netherbyte to cheat, the others kept beating me every time. It wasn’t fun at all.

But thank God for Shizuka—

"Hey, this got boring real fast, don’t you think? We should go meet Benimaru and Rei; they’re apparently doing a photoshoot today in Tokyo."

This is exactly why society needs extroverts. You can’t expect awkward old me to just pull outing ideas out of thin air.

So, we all took the train to Hamarikyu Gardens, fighting off Shizuka’s molesting the entire way, until we reached the open lawn area by the tidal pond, where the photoshoot was set up.

The crew was already in formation, lights and reflectors gleaming, while the two hotties—Benimaru and Rei—stood at the center, shifting poses with every camera click.

They were modeling for one of our village elders.

Rei was dashing as always; her outfit had that mature, high-class vibe: a fitted cream blazer over a silk blouse tucked into wide-legged trousers.

She looked like the type of woman who could walk into a corporate boardroom or a runway without missing a beat.

Every flick of her hair, every subtle tilt of her chin screamed "confidence!"

Benimaru, on the other hand, was irritatingly good at this. He wore a tailored charcoal suit with a narrow tie, and it fit him like it was sewn onto his body.

When he smirked for the camera, he didn’t look like he was trying; he just was an idol.

Even when the photographer asked him to relax and try a casual pose, he somehow managed to look like he was born for the spotlight.

"Angle your shoulder a bit more, Rei-san," the photographer called out.

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Author's note:

? I have good news and bad news. Let's start with the bad news:

Due to circumstances, chapters will only drop once per week now. No longer once per day.

Okay, now that that's outta the way--Good news!

Uh... What was the goodnews again...? Uhm. Stay safe. And expect more chapters in the future. Also, thank you for reading so far.

...Sorry for the misunderstanding. There wasn't any goodnews after all.