It’s a busy day at New Eden, despite the lack of “special” training being scheduled for the day. The recent goings-on in Mitakihara have pushed many of its citizens to make good on their bucket list promises, and as such, business is booming.

While a curated playlist of energetic rock music is playing through the speakers Yui has put up in the large communal area, a surprisingly sizeable number of regulars — most of them college students or career women in their late twenties or early thirties, Alice noticed — is exercising, leisurely chatting with each other and slamming down isotonic sports drinks as they practice on the treadmills or the exercise bikes, while others are too focused for social interaction, stifling their groans as they take on the bench press or the rowing machine. 

Sitting behind the reception desk, Alice is working on a flyer behind her laptop, as she notices her phone light up. Upon reading the incoming message, she takes a quick look at the gym area, spotting Yui somewhat awkwardly supervising her “customers” from her position near the empty ring, before replying. Then, the chime of an old bell by the door signals the entrance of a new customer.

A red-haired girl enters slowly, tapping a cane in front of her. She stops at the music and noise in the gym today, very different from the last time she was here.

Seia: (Quietly to herself) Ooh. Loud today. A lot of people… 

Alice: Uh, hey there! Need some help?

Yui: Yo, Seia! (Yui makes a point to project her voice for Seia’s sake, without being so loud to disturb the others working out.) Over here, other side of the ring!

Seia: (She doesn’t shout back, just makes her way over by herself. As usual, people clear out of the way with varying degrees of acceptance and annoyance upon seeing her. She feels her way around the ring around where Yui is)

Seia: Hello. I know it’s not Sunday, but even some regular exercise would help me. I hear treadmills. Those are good; I can go running by myself with one of those. 

Yui: Yep. I can spot for weights if that’s your flavor, too. Or exercise bikes, resistance bands, pull up bars, even things like yoga mats. (her voice has gotten closer) But uh, the guys that come by here usually hate that idea. I know it’s a far cry from the dedicated self-defense specialist training, but even the regular workouts can go a long way.

Seia: The cardio will be good. That’s the hardest to do when you can’t run. Maybe my father will buy a treadmill for me, but for now… 

Yui: A treadmill just opened up. Need me to lead ya there? And either way, if you need anything, just yell or something, I’ll come runnin’. 

Seia: After I’ve gotten changed, sure. I might need help with the treadmill controls. 

Yui: Sure, no prob! Locker room’s just over here. (She leads Seia towards the locker room)

Alice: (she watches Yui trail off with the visitor, before turning her attention back to her computer screen — only to jump slightly when she sees someone else standing at the reception) Whoa! (she sighs) You’ve gotten way too good at snooping around without people noticing!

Koharu: Why would I want to snoop around this place?

Alice: No, not here, it’s just—

Koharu: (she points at a rowing machine in the corner closest to the window) What happened to the plant that used to be there?

Alice: … We moved it.

Koharu: Don’t like it.

Alice: … I appreciate the feedback.

Hanako: (Hanako arrives a moment later) Perhaps they needed more space for extra equipment? It’s rather busy today… 

Shinju: (She comes in after Hanako, with a plastic wrapped basket in hand) Hey, we’ve all arrived! I brought a fruit basket. 

Alice: Oh— Thank you. You really shouldn’t have, but it’s such a lovely gift… Real mature vibes, too. Feels like we’re running an actual business.

Hanako: You mean you aren’t?

Alice: No, this is a front for a drug operation. But don’t tell anyone.

Shinju: Drugs like… magic… seeds? 

Hanako: …In a roundabout way, that wouldn’t be inaccurate…

Yuzuki: (She enters the gym at a jog, a little out of breath) Hey, sorry I’m late! Professor Nagai went way over again… 

Alice: Is that the same guy Midori’s always complaining about?

Koharu: Yes.

Yuzuki: Yeah, you know he always goes long. And with his name, jokes abound of course… 

Alice: Well, thanks for coming in any case… (she turns to the Newspaper Club girls) I know you probably don’t think of Yui as a friend, but… she really cares about you three and, I’m just hoping that getting her to play mentor is enough to lift her spirits. It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

Koharu: Sure you didn’t mean to invite my sister?

Alice: No, she’s got evening classes. Don’t worry. Yui’s got a soft spot for complicated girls. (meeting Koharu’s glare with a mischievous smile, she turns to Yuzuki) I was planning on retreating to the lounge area, but it looks like someone just came in for coaching. Didn’t plan on that. Yui might be busy for a while.

Yui: (Yui, meanwhile, has finished helping Seia change, and has led her to a treadmill, making sure the settings were right, and double checking for good measure. Satisfied, she turns to the others, a little surprise in her eyes.) Oh hey, ‘sup, Newspaper Crew?

Koharu: … Just so you know, we’re not here to exercise.

Shinju: We could be though! Just look at this spread! (She surveys the various exercise equipment with a smile)

Yui: (Yui gives a proud little smile in turn.) Any time you want! But yeah, I figured it wasn’t why you came by. 

Shinju: I brought you a fruit basket! You know, to celebrate this opening as a real business.

Yui: Oh, cool, we can stop using this place as a front for a drug operation.

Alice: Bad joke.

Yui: I learned it by watching you, dad. Anyway, what’s the party for? Didn’t need a group to bring a fruit basket.

Shinju: To celebrate you opening up as a real business! And also, your first “real” students, too. (She looks over to where Seia is running on the treadmill) She was with Aoi’s group before, right? Um… what was her name again? 

Yui: Seia Yamano. She’s pretty good, all things considered with what life dealt her. But that seems to be my speciality, I guess. Makin’ lemonade. Also, um, all I did was change the sign out and start the weekly self-defense course on Sundays. This place always was a legitimate gym, y’know.

Shinju: You weren’t pulling crowds like this before though! 

Yui: Heh, true. But these days, self-defense and physical fitness seem popular, for some reason. Can’t quite put my finger on why. (smirk)

Shinju: Yeah, there might be a few more JSDF recruits than usual too this year… unless our image is totally pooped thanks to this. 

Koharu: People see the JSDF as heroes after they liberated the city. Blame for the dithering’s been put squarely on the government. Wanna know what’d have happened if it had been the Americans who swooped in.

Hanako: I shudder to think… I’d much rather the heroism be seen as local, rather than international interventionism… 

Shinju: Hey, our American boys live here. They’re sorta local. 

Koharu: (she mumbles) The real heroes—

Alice: — will never get the credit they deserve, right, Koharu? That’s true. But at least there could have been worse people to take that credit.

Shinju: Kohaku’s in the JSDF you know. So they didn’t completely miss with the credit. 

Alice: Well yes, but she’s probably not getting a promotion for saving your bacon against Punisher.

Shinju: Uh, well, (She plays with a lock of her hair, uncomfortable) actually I was the one doing the bacon-saving… 

Alice: Pretty sure just about everyone saved Yui’s bacon at some point during that fight.

Yui: (She looks around, very grateful that the noise of regular gym business muffled the conversation enough from the other side.) Yuzu did a lot of heavy lifting in that department. Not just mine, either. She did a lot of protecting at the end, there.

Yuzuki: I had help from Hayama-san— Kohaku, I mean. She planned the whole thing with me after we got the hostages out. That ambush in the park, and using my shield as a balloon was her idea, too. 

Hanako: I just… followed the Twins’ call, and I was just very close by when it went off. To think there was that much coordination going on behind the scenes…

Yuzuki: I think it was just a plan between me and her. And maybe the younger Hayama-san.

Shinju: She just told me where to show up. But that park had a big fountain full of water for me, so she probably planned it out for me to arrive. And for me to put her out when that Chinese kid copied her napalm launcher… which I guess she also expected. Sis is pretty incredible… 

Yui: Still a part of me that thinks she’s the most powerful of us in this entire city.

Shinju: (She crosses her arms in a joking display of petulance) Hey! Don’t count out me and Sango! 

Hanako: Sango?

Shinju: Right, I guess only Yui and ‘Haku have really seen him. (She holds her arms out high and wide as if demonstrating the size of a fish) He’s a huge… like a whale, or like a dragon, that I learned to summon in the final battle. 

Yui: Oh, so he is sentient, then?

Koharu: … What happened to Ichigo and Nigo?

Hanako: Ehehe~

Koharu: It’s a real question, why are you laughing?

Alice: (she sighs) Seriously, does Kyubey take your sense for naming things along with your souls or something?

Shinju: Wow. It’s Sango like “coral!” I wanted to give him a name that fit in with mine and Kohaku’s. Wow, you guys. 

Yui: H-Hey, my question was serious!

Alice: Sorry, I’m not used to people putting much effort into what they name things.

Koharu: When would you ever have the need to name objects?

Shinju: He’s not an object! I don’t think you could, like, talk to him, but he can do his own thing separate from me. Like Sis’s soldier guys. 

Koharu: He’s your pet?

Shinju: Kinu is my pet. Don’t tell me you forgot poor Kinu. 

Hanako: I-I could never forget Kinu!

Koharu: Why can’t you have two pets? I have two sisters.

Shinju: Well, anyway, I wouldn’t say Sango is my pet. He’s a little too smart on the field. He’s more like a summon or a fighting partner. He can blow away a Witch with a single blast! 

Yui: Definitely impressive. And overkill for an ordinary Witch. Heh, real glad we’re friends and allies. I’d hate to be on the wrong side of you with that whale dragon out.

Shinju: Why would you ever be on the wrong side of me? 

Yui: Well, no, I wouldn’t be, but y’know… hypothetical battle crafting and all that.

Alice: We have this game where Yui asks me, like, “hey, do you think I could beat insert-person-here” in a fair fight, and then I tell her why she’d lose. (she points at Hanako) You’d get stronger the more she messes with your soul, so … (she points at Shinju) You could probably use your water to make Yui electrocute herself. 

Yui: But electricity beats water—

Alice: As for Yuzuki… Well, I looked it up and apparently, lightning in a vacuum? No can do. There’s your contingency plan in case our bad girl here ever truly breaks bad.

Koharu: … Would it matter if the lightning is magical in nature?

Alice: No clue. If you want an actual contingency plan against Yui, I’m willing to bet Cecilia has o—(realizing she’s just mentioned the Oracle’s name, she bites her lip) … S-Sorry.

Yui: (she doesn’t visibly react.) I’m uh… I think I left my phone in the office. Gotta make sure nothin’ got missed. Sunday’s our busiest day, after all, so I gotta be prepared. (As politely as she can, she slips away from the group and quietly enters her office, the door closing delicately behind her)

Alice: (she winces) Ugh. S-Sorry, folks. Way to shoot myself in the foot.

Yuzuki: What’s wrong with Cecilia? (There’s hardly a questioning tone in her voice, as if she already has some idea) 

Alice: It’s… I dunno. I just… Yui was so, so confident she could bring Shiori back from the brink… Probably because Cecilia told her, but… Yeah, that obviously didn’t happen.

Hanako: Shiori…? You mean… “Firestarter”?

Shinju: Did you see what she did to that guy on TV? I think “the brink” left town a while ago… 

Hanako: Excuse me, um… I’m going to… (the conversation seemed to continue perfectly fine without her.)

Hanako took her chance to slip away, slowly walking towards the office in the back. Of course, Hanako had an ulterior motive for wanting to talk with Yui. Part of her diligence in her outlook necessitated getting all sides to the story of a conflict. And Kiwako had hardly given anything even resembling a proper side. But once Hanako turned the doorknob and let herself inside, her resolve left her.

The office was as neutral a location as Hanako could hope to have this conversation. She wasn’t ready for this, but she was never going to be. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Yui wasn’t saying anything. Not at first. A few more deep breaths, and the silence was finally cut with a sigh. 

Yui: I’m fine. Just needed a sec. Go back to the weird welcoming party, Hanako. (Yui leans against the back wall of the office with a sigh) …I’ll be back.

Hanako: I-I know, but… I had to check, you know? …I-I know better than to pry, or ask questions better left unanswered, and I don’t intend to open any fresh wounds, but—

Yui: Look, just… Just rip the bandaid off. (Her eyes flash for a moment) I can guess why you’re really here, anyway.

Hanako: … (The air in the room became completely still for a brief moment) I wanted to… talk about… (she shook her head, taking one last deep breath) It’s about Kiwa-chan. She… she told me what happened the last time she came here.

Yui: (she folds her arms across her chest) And I’m sure she was objective about it.

Hanako: …If I took her at her word… I would not be here to talk it out with you now, Yui.

Yui: (She raises an eyebrow) Damn, kid. Is that character growth I’m seein’ in you? Alright, I’m actually listening then.

Hanako: She informed me that she was asked to leave your gym. I… I understand that this was not a temporary request.

Yui: What, like I banned her? Man, that’s not my style. I told her to fuck off until she understood, not that she couldn’t ever come back.

Hanako: …Understood what, exactly, Yui?

Yui: …You’re not ready for that answer, Hanako.

Hanako: …I have no intention of leaving without it.

Yui: Had a feeling you’d say that. Whatever, man… I gave you fair warning. (Kicking off of the wall, Yui took a seat at her desk, her eyes not leaving Hanako’s at any point, completely unblinking.) She came my way wanting to talk about the Oracle. Pretty sure my reaction to Alice mentionin’ her name gives away what a bad idea that was. …I wasn’t ready. She pushed. I wanted to kick her fucking skull in. Figured asking her to leave politely was the better option.

Hanako: (Her eyes narrow) …Telling someone to “fuck off” is hardly polite.

Yui: (Yui’s eyes briefly widen in pure shock, but it fades before long.) …Fine. What Kiwako doesn’t understand is that I’m not ready to talk about Cecilia. Dunno if you noticed, kid, but I lost quite a bit when those nutjobs Kyubey brought in burned this place to the fucking ground.

Hanako: We all lost something—

Yui: No, “we” did not lose anything. (her voice raised, but not enough to bleed out into the rest of the gym.) I lost something. Multiple somethings and someones that aren’t ever coming back! (She stood, far faster than she should have been able to without her transformation, and slammed her hands on her desk.) You didn’t lose jack fucking shit!

Hanako: Th… that’s not fair Yui, I—

Yui: Fair?! Alright, let’s talk fair! You’ve never lost anything, Hanako! Not once, in your entire goddamn life! You and your friends took down Moonlover just fucking fine and dandy! But me? She shattered Alice’s fucking shoulder! And yeah, I healed it, but it left a fucking scar, just so I’ll never forget! So how come y’all got to take her out without so much as a fucking scratch, hm?!

Hanako: I… I mean it wasn’t easy—

Yui: Hotaru gave her life just to get the rest of us out. But where were you when we were all held hostage at the Bends? Taking a soul sabbatical in Tokyo? Finding yourself? Personal studies? No. You ran the fuck away.

Hanako: If I hadn’t, then—

Yui: Kotori and Chiemi gave their lives in vain to try and take down Punisher! And for what? To leave a fucking bloody button off a jacket kinda breadcrumb hint to lead me to Magia? What fucking good did that do in the end, anyway?! I couldn’t stop Liu Fei, couldn’t save Shiori… I couldn’t even save Mei! 

Yui was shaking with rage and agony, her nails digging into the mahogany surface, yet seemingly trying to keep herself from ripping her desk like a piece of paper.

Yui: But you… you get to keep everyone and everything that means goddamn anything to you, Hanako.

Hanako: I… I’ve lost plenty! I-I lost—

Yui: Ueno, right? Yeah, how’d that turn out, again? 

Hanako: That… that doesn’t mean that—

Yui: So you carried that pain for a few months, right? But then you got her back, safe and sound, like nothing ever happened. She even joined your club! You can see her every single day, without needing some unstable magical dream world to make it happen. Hell, last I heard, she moved in with you! 

Hanako: J… Just because Ueno survived, it doesn’t mean—

Yui: You have all your friends, all of them. You have a family, a loving fucking stable set of parents, plural, you have money, you have everything in the fucking world you could ever want. And they all forgave you for that shit you pulled, trying to stick to your pity-party instead of trusting in them. (Her eyes burned with a fury far more intense than she likely intended, but it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing a punch. After a moment, her voice lowered again) …You took them all for fucking granted, Hanako, and for some reason, each and every fucking one of them stands beside you now, without even a hint of leaving you. If it’d been me pullin’ that shit, I’d be alone right now.

Hanako: …

Yui: Must be real fuckin’ nice to be you, Hanako. To not have to fight to keep people by your side. I sure as shit did. Took Alice a long fuckin’ time to forgive me for trying to dig for Kae’s history and stop it. Not that that did any fuckin’ good, thanks to Anisa fucking Nobunaga. I ate shit for that for a fucking month, at least.

Hanako: I-I’m—

Yui: Even the fucking dead. No… you don’t know loss at all. And I pray to god you never do, Hanako, because that’s the shit that scars the soul the worst. But at the same time, it means you don’t know. See, Koharu gets it. Shinju gets it. Alice, Aoi, Yuzuki, they all get it. Even Koharu’s dumbass boyfriend fucking gets it. But not you. You don’t fucking get it. (She slowly lowered herself back into her chair) And until you do get it, you have no fucking right to speak to me about how I react when someone like Kiwako fucking Kobayashi comes at me, trying to tell me that I fucking don’t.

Hanako: …I—

Yui: Shut it. Just… don’t. Don’t even start. Call up that little red riding brat and tell her what a mean, nasty bitch I am. Tell her everything I just told you, and get the full story, if she feels like tellin’ it. But until you understand enough to at least sympathize, I don’t wanna fucking hear it anymore.

Hanako: (Hanako is frozen in place, staring at the floor for what feels like eternity. When Yui remains silent, Hanako turns to leave. Her hand reaches the handle to the office door, but she freezes again.) …Just because I haven’t lost them… doesn’t mean I have earned their trust back. That is my burden to bear. But do not lash out at others over yours. Take it from me, Yui… it does not end well.

Before Yui can reply, Hanako swiftly pulls the door open, shutting it quickly behind her and racing for the front door to New Eden. 

Shinju: (She turns with surprise as Hanako dashes past) Uh, Hanako!? H-hey… 

Koharu: What the—

Alice: Shinju, you should probably leave her be. I don’t think it’s gonna help anyone if we—

Koharu: I need to know what your friend told her.

Alice: I’m sure you’ll find out. But if you all leave to chase after her now, Yui will have to reckon with the consequences of her actions. (she keeps her voice down, so Yui doesn’t overhear) She’s not ready for that. I know it’s callous, but right now, we should let her get away with this. Make it look like Hanako deserved whatever just happened. Otherwise, the guilt will keep piling up, and—

Koharu: None of my concern. Hanako needs us. I don’t care what your friend thinks.

Shinju: Yeah, I’m not gonna just let Hanako– 

Alice: Yui is a ticking time bomb right now — and I don’t mean that metaphorically, Koharu. There is so much going on in that soul of hers, it scares me. If she loses control… God, I can’t even imagine. So we have to indulge her, for now. Handle her with care. Support her, even if you might feel she’s completely out of line.

Koharu: Tsk. So she can force her will onto everyone else by threatening them with some kind of divine reckoning if they don’t give her what she wants? I’ll pass.

Alice: You know it’s not as simple as that, Koharu. (she sighs) I’ll text Hanako. But when Yui gets back here, act as if there’s nothing going on.

Shinju: No, I’m gonna go– 

Before Shinju can leave, they all notice Seia has quietly wandered back to the lobby from the treadmills) 

Seia: Hello, everyone. I thought I heard you all talking. Did I hear Newspaper Club President Shirahara-san speaking? 

Koharu: Huh? Yeah. That’s me.

Seia: Hello, I transferred into your class. I was wondering about joining the Newspaper Club. That’s what I did at my old school. 

Koharu: You… (she casts a brief glance at Shinju — seemingly to confirm whether Seia is “in the know”) At your old school… I see. Assume you can provide the necessary equipment? We don’t exactly have much of a budget.

Seia: Don’t worry, I have my own Braille Sense machine. I can type into the computer and read it without bothering you with a screen reader. 

Koharu: Hm. (she tries to sound dismissive, but actually sounds quite interested) Space’s another matter. I suppose we can clear out some stuff we don’t need anymore.

Seia: Oh, I take all my stuff with me. Or are you short on seats? 

Koharu: No. We’ll have a free desk. He’s out.

Shinju: Yosuke? Yeahhh… 

Koharu: (she sighs) … And if he’s not leaving on his own, I can kick him out myself.