1

"And we're here!"

Hikari shouted as the three of them got off the taxi and into the large activity center. In front of her was the gigantic mall Eden, a towering wonder that featured a mall, an observation deck, several restaurants, and today's attraction, the city's biggest indoor aquarium.

Meanwhile, Kazuki trailed behind, having just finished paying the taxi driver. Along with him was his "foster sister," the Sana "Arata," red wig and all.

He stretched his arms, walking casually with Sana on his side. With how much the two girls were talking inside the taxi, he knew that Sana was as enthusiastic as Hikari about this trip. With the exception of the Yuki-tan concert, if that even counted, this was the first time that she'll be going on an excursion with the two of them.

As soon as now, he can feel a tug on his jacket.

"There's a lot of people..." mentioned Sana.

"Yeah, feels like the Yuki-tan concert all over again. You feeling nervous traveling without Yura?"

"I know Big Bro will protect me."

"Of course you can count on me," he gave her a thumbs up. "Hikari, wait up!"

"Yeaaaa~" his sister called out, with her actions contradicting her words. She seemed like a kid who got her first taste of freedom, pacing around restlessly and looking at the billboards and establishments around them.

"Well, looks like Hikari's really excited."

"You're not, Big Bro?"

"I am. But I can't help but worry a bit. It's funny. Hikari's always the responsible one, but I feel that urge to look out for her. I know nothing will happen, and she's not a trouble magnet of any sort. But still..."

"Hehe, that just means you're a nice person, Big Bro."

"Nice is a flattering way to put it, but..."

"Come on, Big Bro! What are we waiting for?" called Hikari, having gone back to their side.

"Well, there's four people registered in the voucher, and Ms. Sadohara told me to wait here."

Growing impatient, Kazuki then looked at the crowd that had gathered around the activity square. He set off to look for someone conspicuous. Ms. Sadohara did not tell him who's coming with them.

It sure would not be Amagi, and there should be no difficulty finding Ms. Sadohara. She's the type of person who would show up in some titillating clothing while looking completely haggard. If it was Shizaki, however, he could be harder to find.

"Just wait a while, Hikari."

"Awwww...."

"Let me call Ms. Sadohara up," said Kazuki, pulling out his phone. "Hikari, she said she'll just invite someone else to accompany us. It's probably Shizaki."

"Shizaki?"

"The guy who helped us back in the supermarket. Remember him?"

"Oh! Yes I did!"

"Right, so stay put while I ask her where Shizaki would be waiting for us."

As he looked up Ms. Sadohara's number, he paused. For onlookers, was a sudden pause for no reason in particular, but as always, he had something in his mind.

The conversation he had this morning remained.

He had invited Amagi to join them, but she decided to pass for the day. It's completely understandable given what had transpired the previous night, but it still felt like a wasted opportunity.

On the other hand, he understood why she wanted to take the day off and reflect on herself. The night before was quite hard, and even he himself wondered how he got it in him to do all that.

However, there ended up being no need to call Ms. Sadohara up, as amidst the crowd noise, one recognizable voice caused all three of them to turn around.

"Daaaarliiiing!"

Out of the crowd came the only person who ever called Kazuki that. Wearing a jumper with short shorts, she strutted to them with utmost confidence.

She must be the one Ms. Sadohara called. He expected Shizaki, but having Kimura around could be even better for the two girls: the two Yuki-tan fans.

"Yo."

"Don't 'yo' me! Show some more passion. We're here on a big trip!" complained Kimura, pulling down her shades and staring Kazuki down with her blue contacts. "There you go with your no reaction gimmick again."

"Sorry."

"Geez. Show some spirit, would you?!"

Before they can banter further, a gasp interrupted them.

"I-i-it's really her! Sana, look, Yuki-tan! Just as I told you!"

Hikari gripped Sana by the chest, looking completely starstruck.

"Ehehe. It's actually just Yui Kimura now. I'm kinda..."

"On hiatus, right?! Right? It doesn't matter. You'll always be the best idol there is! I recently introduced your last few music videos to Sana, and she aaabsoluuuutely loved your songs! Oh, wait! She was there at your concert. Hmmm... but why don't I remember much? Right. There was an earthquake, and..."

"Thanks!" hurriedly interrupted Kimura. She then winked to Hikari before noticing the new person. "Who is she?"

"Oh, she's Sana, our long-lost sibling!"

"Hikari!"

Kazuki tried to shush Hikari when Kimura laughed, interrupting them.

"Long-lost sibling, eh...? What is this all about, Darling?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Hikari's just getting too excited to play house. I-i-it's a long and complicated story. We can talk about it once this is all—"

"Playing house? Then, I can be the mom then!"

"Wha?"

Kazuki could barely say anything before Kimura wrapped her arms around his.

"Darling can be the dad. Hikari and Sana can be the kids! And we'll be going on a family trip to the aquarium!" she finished with an enthusiastic pose pointing to the big building in front of them.

"Woooah. Big Bro marrying the greatest idol in Shiroki City?!"

Kazuki turned to Hikari only to see stars in her wide eyes. All before Kimura nudged him.

"Heeey, your sister's got taste. Why don't you be like her more, Darling?"

"I... am the daughter?" pondered Sana. "But I want to be the mom with Big Bro."

Kimura bent down and patted Sana in the head. "Well, maybe you'll get your chance when you grow up. For today, I get Darling to myself!"

She had a happy expression on her face that contrasted Sana's pout.

"Why don't we go in right around... now?" awkwardly interrupted Kazuki, who began walking towards Eden.

2

"While many think that sharks are scary monsters of the sea, that can't be further from the truth."

The young guide narrated while a few sharks and rays swam in the tank behind him. An audience, mostly children and young adults, stood around the area while others took photos. As the guide continued the narration, the largest resident of the enclosure, the lone whale shark, passed by the window.

"Whooaaaa."

Hikari, mesmerized by the creature, walked towards the tank, while Sana stayed behind with the two of them.

So far, it was Hikari who seemed to be enjoying the trip the most.

She was first in line in the lounge's lecture activity, mesmerized in the holograms and light show that ran every thirty minutes. Likewise, she had spent a lot of time scurrying from tank to tank when the four of them walked through the section on coral reefs.

"I'd also like to add," staring at the guide and the sharks, Kimura began talking to no one in particular. "Sharks are covered in teeth instead of scales. That is why their skin feels rough to touch."

"So you're telling me the rubbery-looking thing is teeth? Yeah, I know they're not scales, but I guess you learn something new every day."

"Fufu, I happen to be quite an expert on aquatic animals," confidently proclaimed Kimura, adjusting her new pair of glasses, heart-shaped ones, in a dramatic way. "Suits my image, doesn't it? Don't these glasses make me look smart?"

"With heart-shaped frames? Erm... no. Thinking that wearing glasses and reciting fun facts from the Internet make you smart does quite the opposite, actually."

"Awwww, come on, Darling!" whined Kimura. "Ughhh..... Do you know that turtles live in all continents except Antarctica? I bet you didn't know that!"

"Of course they do. Well... if I were to give it some thought, it makes sense. Cool."

"Grrrr! Be more shocked. Go 'woooaaaaahh' or something like your sister! I-it's not every day I show off my smarts."

Kazuki shrugged. "Let me guess. Ms. Sadohara told you about this trip, and you spent the morning searching for something like... 'top 20 fish facts' on the Internet."

"Geh!" her words sputtered awkwardly. "H-how about this? I-I didn't see this on the Internet, but do you know that male seahorses give birth?"

"So you're not denying it, huh?" Kazuki beamed a smile and looked at her with serious eyes. "Here's a little something for you. Do you know that dolphins get high on puffer fish? Oh, and they can get frisky with people, too. Especially girls."

"I didn't need to know that! Hmph! Sana's way better as a companion, you know?"

"Had some good time at the mini cruise a while ago, huh?" answered Kazuki, referencing an indoor cruise that they took on mini rafts, sending them off to see penguins by an icy river route. Definitely another highlight of the day.

He had ridden with Hikari, and Kimura was paired with Sana, much to the latter's muted displeasure. Nonetheless, he had also noticed Kimura's lively whispering and chatting with the starstruck Sana while they went on that journey.

Before more can come out of the impromptu bickering, they stopped at the sound of snickering. As if in sync, they both turned to Sana at exactly the same time.

"Big Bro and Big Sis are having so much fun," the girl chuckled.

"Excuse me. It's mommy and daddy!" Kimura hurriedly corrected the girl, putting her hands on her hips. "Right, Darling?"

She intensified her wrap around Kazuki's shoulder in a very possessive and protective way.

"Mommy and daddy? T-that makes it even better," smiled Sana. "It's beautiful... and warm."

"What is?" asked Kimura.

"T-the lights," Sana answered timidly. "I see them sparkling and dancing around you."

"Haha, that's some great imagination," said Kimura, who lightly patted Sana on her head. She then drew a circle with her finger and slid it across the air. "What about you?"

She widened her eyes, pretending to see those 'lights' that Sana talked about.

"I see a lot of red. And yellow. Something perfect for a cute girl like you. Ah! It's actually more of orange, or bright green, like my favorite color!"

She leaned in, and her hands moved as if to pinch Sana on the cheeks.

The little girl just blinked while seemingly retracting her head.

"Stop scaring her," reprimanded Kazuki.

"H-hey!" stammered Kimura before Kazuki pulled Sana away.

"She doesn't do too well with strangers, even if you're Yuki-tan. Hikari would love that though."

"Hmph! What stranger are you talking about?! We're friends!"

"Friends... with Yuki-tan..." a smiling Sana whispered.

There was a bit of silence before Hikari's loud and excited voice grabbed everyone's attention.

"Let's go there!"

She pointed to the next part of the tour, the large underwater tunnel that's long been a staple of aquariums.

Following her lead, the three of them walked into the tunnel and into a world beyond their imaginations. A moving walkway ferried them and several other guests through a journey under the sea.

Overhead, schools of fish zoomed past them, followed by a pair of turtles. More fish passed them by on the side, their colors adding to the brightness of the lights that decorated the tunnel walls.

Kazuki remained quiet, admiring the beauty of the tunnel in his own quiet space. The same cannot be said with Kimura and Hikari, who filled his ears with choruses of woah's.

"Look, look!"

Kimura stepped off the moving platform, approaching a group of fish. Behind the group was a set of props mimicking the setting of a shipwreck. More fish and a long eel swam between the gaps of the wreckage.

More of them moved in harmony along the rocks and reefs put on display.

"Why don't we take a picture here?"

"Here?" asked Kazuki.

"Yes! The background is perfect, and we haven't had a group picture yet."

"Come on!" agreed Hikari, giving Kimura a high-five in the process. She then urged both her brother and Sana to come.

Just then, the tank's lone manatee came into view, the mammal's presence making the two girls more excited than they already were.

With Hikari and Kimura's urging, Kazuki and Sana hurriedly went into position as the animal passed by. Kimura quickly shot a selfie with all of them, making sure to capture the background and the notable animals the best that she can.

When they finished, they were left looking through the glass with Hikari waving goodbye to the animals.

The tunnel continued on all the way. The shipwreck region gave way to one that resembled a kelp forest before transitioning back into a coral reef.

On the way, they reached a waiting area: a spacious place with several benches and food vendors. It was the resting spot, perfectly nestled between the two parts of the very long underwater tunnel that formed a U shape. While the ceiling no longer gave them a view of the marine habitat surrounding them, people can still peer through a series of windows on the side.

Despite Hikari's boundless energy showing no sign of being depleted, the same cannot be said of Sana, who lagged behind.

"Time for a break, Hikari," called out Kazuki, who scanned the area for a bench where they can sit.

Finding one near an ice cream stall, he sat before offering the seat to Sana. Meanwhile, Kimura went after Hikari, who had lined up for the refreshments stall located at the far end of the rest area.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked Kazuki.

Sana meekly nodded, sharing his longing look at Hikari and Kimura.

"T-thank you, Big Bro."

"Don't sweat it. It's your first time meeting Kimura, right? She can be quite a handful. I think she and Hikari get along well because of it, though."

"I think it's good. Yuki-tan cannot be sad for the sake of her fans. F-for Hikari... and me."

"Haha, is that so?" followed him. "Now, how about telling me what you were talking about on that raft? She seemed so into it without even realizing how much you looked so overwhelmed."

Upon hearing that, Sana's eyes widened, and her face slowly exhibited a red tint.

"No! I said no!"

The shrill yell of a woman broke through the ambient noise, interrupting the two. When they both turned, there was a middle-aged woman arguing with what seemed to be her daughter.

Defiant, the daughter stomped her feet, answering back, "Mom, just this once!"

"No, I'm not buying you that! How many times have I told you to behave?"

"B-but it's only this once," pleaded the girl, pointing to Kazuki's general direction. Specifically, the ice cream cart near their bench.

"Come on, dear. She's been a good girl, and it won't hurt to reward her for doing well in school," urged a third person, presumably the father.

"Don't you dare teach me how to raise Edith! Especially you who's been out partying with your friends half the week!"

"No need to bring that up, dear. It's a family outing, and we're doing this for her."

The parents continued arguing, with some unpleasant words being thrown. Things paused it seemed, and everyone was left looking at the family. Even Hikari and Kimura, who were headed back with juice, stopped in shock.

Having seen this sequence, the little girl started crying as aquarium staff stepped in to mediate.

"Oh no you don't. I don't care if it's two of you, three of you, it's my right as her mother to call the shots and give her only what I want!"

Even with the intervention of the aquarium staff, things did not look to be getting any better.

"Man, this sucks," Kazuki found himself commenting while shaking his head. This was one of the worst places to have a family spat like that. All that for ice cream?

He turned to Sana with a sad expression when he stopped in surprise.

"Sana?"

The girl did not react to his call, instead fixing her gaze onto the arguing family. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, and Kazuki looked on with concern.

That's right, something like this could be bringing up bad memories for the girl.

He was unsure what to do when a banging sound snapped him out of it.

Standing up, he turned around to see some of the fish ramming themselves into the acrylic glass repeatedly. More people caught up to this turn of events, and he felt how quickly the mood changed as people got on edge.

More of them turned around, some shouts coming out of them as they saw the fish and sharks banging on the glass.

Other staff ran into the area, urging everyone to calm down and evacuate. Then, Kazuki's heart skipped a beat when a chilling wave blew by him.

It continued to throb as the frigid sensation climbed up his spine and ran towards his extremities.

The family didn't seem to be to the point of hating each other that much to spawn a Fragment out of an argument. Or did they?

"Oh shit, not here. Not here..." he muttered, worriedly looking at the family who continued arguing. He prepared to move in to the family when a powerful grip stopped him.

"B-big Bro... don't leave me..."

"Sana, I have to stop them," he said, looking at the girl's eyes that tethered on consciousness. He can sense the trouble in her eyes, but without knowing what it was, he was at a loss on what to do.

It certainly had to do with the arguing family, and with leaving her and Hikari behind in order to enter a Fragment being out of the question, he had to stop the family now. Somehow. Some way.

"Ehem, ehem!"

In the midst of the chaos, all eyes turned to the coffee shop. Kimura held a microphone which she presumably got from the stall and stood poised.

"Ermm... Things are getting a bit too heated here, so how about an impromptu concert to help calm everyone down?" Kimura winked, twirling the mic with her fingers.

She began singing with a presence that stopped even the arguing family.

He recognized this as the final song she did in the Chronodome event. Just like that event, the song's soothing melody seemed to pierce through him, putting him at ease. Judging by the people's reactions, the same can be said of them.

Eventually, cooler heads prevailed, and the family broke up their argument, albeit grudgingly. Assisted by the staff, they were escorted out while people stayed to watch Kimura sing.

With the family gone from the equation, the chilling sensation slowly dispersed. Kazuki let out a sigh of relief when things started settling down. He turned back to see the agitated marine creatures head back in peace.

In a few seconds, it seemed as if nothing had happened.

The true power of an idol, huh?

Sure, there was no way she could use her Awakener powers in the real world, but there's just something special about Kimura. She had the uncanny ability to touch people with her voice, and he felt nothing but happiness for her.

It was her lifelong dream to be able to touch others with her voice, and in addition to her concerts when she's active, this event was a testament to her wish having come true.

The song had caught everyone's attention that even Kazuki found himself having to return to reality once the impromptu number was done. It was then that he felt something missing.

He turned, and to his horror, Sana was on the ground, breathing heavily yet in a state of unconsciousness.

"Sana! Sana!"

The girl wouldn't respond. Kimura and Hikari had come to his side while this was going on, and they looked on in worry.

"We have to get help!" suggested Hikari.

"There's a first aid station just past this tunnel," said an exasperated Kimura, looking at her map.

Without hesitation, Kazuki nodded and lifted the unconscious Sana, walking towards the direction of the first aid station.