The newspaper club room is quiet, and mostly empty. Her head resting on her arms folded on top of her desk, Koharu is gazing out of the window, watching the members of various sports clubs running laps around the school grounds — until she is roused from her distraction by the sound of a door sliding open and a pair of familiar voices.

Niko: — and he just picked it up, with his bare hands!

Shinju: Wh-while it was still in the beaker full of HCl? Man, I can’t imagine the craziness when my class gets to have chem lab… 

Niko: A class full of goodie-two-shoes like yours? You’re gonna have to step up your game— (her expression sours as soon as she spots Koharu) Oh. Just you today?

Koharu: (she shrugs) Hanako’s packing for a trip.

Niko: What about your stalker?

Koharu: Beats me.

Shinju: Did you end up talking to that Shinomiya guy yet? I hear he’s pretty popular.

Koharu: (she clicks her tongue) Waste of time.

Niko: Well, I guess it was worth a t—(her eyes widen) W-Wait, were you the— Oh… Oh man. Yeah, uh… Apparently you made quite a scene, if the gossip is to be believed.

Seia: (A short double tap at the open doorway) Shinomiya was just asking me if me and you were friends, Koharu-san. Something about you picking a fight with him? 

Koharu: Whatever. (she gets up from her seat) If two people aren’t gonna show up, no point in even having club. Going home.

Shinju: (She plants her hands on her hips) Four out of six attendance is fine, man. You know what’s going on with Hanako, and I thought you were saying you were gonna kick Yosuke out anyway. What gives? 

Koharu: Not kicking him out. Never said that.

Niko: Oh my God, always the drama with the two of you. Get over yourselves!

Koharu: He lied to me! To all of us!

Niko: Then tell his sorry ass to fuck off already!

Seia: (She slides the door closed behind her) This is all about him being Balancer-san, right? These “lies” of his.

Koharu: None of your business. It… I just can’t… deal with him. 

Shinju: Hey, if you need someone with you when you tell him to sod off, I’ll be there. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get violent or anything.

Koharu: I’m… Look, you don’t understand.

Niko: You sure? Cause it sounds to me like this got nothing to do with him, like, betraying you or whatever. I mean, have you seen the guy? He couldn’t even stumble into a bona fine dickweed if he tried. 

Koharu: Irrelevant. He helped them. The Balancers. If he won’t be held accountable for what he did, then—

Niko: Look, Einstein. You’re down bad for this dude — God knows why — so maybe you oughta listen to what us people with actual romantic experience have to—

Koharu: Shut up! I… I can’t be… in something like that. What would I—

Niko: Why not?

Koharu: Don’t contradict yourself. You can barely contain your laughter. Think it’s ridiculous. Someone like me, feeling that way. (she scoffs) Because it is, right?

Shinju: (She shakes her head) It’s not ridiculous. Nobody’s immune to having feelings. … besides some of those Balancer people. I mean, I’m kinda shocked it’s him, all considering, but it’s your decision…

Koharu: So even you think it doesn’t make sense. 

Shinju: Because it’s the former Balancer guy who tried to manipulate and kill us just a few weeks ago. Not because of anything about you. 

Koharu: That makes it about me. I won’t make choices my friends don’t approve of. I’ve learnt as much.

Shinju: It’s not that I disapprove because I’m mad at him or you. I guess I’m just having trouble understanding why he appeals to you. Did you have some kinda good relationship with him before that I wasn’t around for? 

Niko: F-For the record, it’s not that love is like, about that or anything. Like, there doesn’t have to be an explanation for why you like someone… r-right… Shinju?

Shinju: Oh yeah. I don’t think anybody can just list one thing they like about someone.

Koharu: He’s… kind. And he’ll never hold who I am against me. I… don’t have to wear a mask around him.

Seia: (In a kind tone) And you’re not concerned about Balancer-san’s deeds as a Balancer?

Koharu: I dunno, but… I once did something… for my own sake, because I didn’t even think to consider the person I did it to… was even human. Because I was so convinced it was the thing I should have done… and I ruined that person… and I can never make that right, ever again. I can’t help but think… Does that make me irredeemable? No matter what I do?

Shinju: … What are you even talking about? Exposing Rui for her asthma drugs while she was on the track team? That didn’t ruin her. Everything she did after that was her own stupid choice. 

Koharu: … And destroying that train was Moonlover’s.

Shinju: Well, you know, he might not have known she was going to do that when he tipped her off, but he definitely did know she was going to kill us. And you. I’m not sayin’ he’s gotta serve some punishment or whatever– I dunno what we’d even do for that– but it’s worth keepin’ in mind. 

Seia: (She raises her hand) A moment, if I may?

Shinju: Huh? Yamano-san?

Seia: Seia is good. Speaking as the daughter of a man who was nearly coerced into corruption, until Aoi luckily came along… well, I can appreciate when someone is forced into doing things that they aren’t proud of. And I’m happy to have been his family support when he came clean to all of us. I think, if that happens to someone, they need that kind of support to go back to a normal life. If Balancer-san has nobody like that in his life to support him after he’s taken a tumble, I don’t know what might happen to him… 

Koharu: We… did the same for Hanako.

Seia: Have you seen him with any other friends like that? 

Koharu: He has no friends. Aside from me, I guess.

Shinju: Wow, seriously? I mean, I guess any guy friends wouldn’t know about the whole balancer thing anyway… 

Niko: Eh… Might wanna take Shirahara’s judgement on that with a grain of salt… Then again, ‘s not like the boys in our school can tell good from bad behavior anyways…

Koharu: (she shrugs) He fits in with other boys as much as I fit in with other girls.

Niko: That bad, huh?

Seia: If nobody is there for him, I’m afraid he won’t have much reason to say no if Kyubey comes by again. 

Koharu: Y-Yes… (after a brief silence, she looks up at Seia) Thank you… You’ve got the words I don’t.

Seia: (She gives a polite curtsy)

Shinju: Well, it’s not like I was planning to isolate him… still, you don’t gotta date the guy to support him. Think it over, yeah?

Koharu: … ‘s all I’ve been doing.