The doors to the kitchen slammed open, and Mei burst through them, tossing her purse on the counter. “So sorry I’m late, everybody. Time got away from me.” Yui grunted something in acknowledgement, but didn’t seem very impressed with her explanation, as it had been the fourth time in the last week this had happened.

Mei looked around at the progress being made. “It’s looking good in here!”

Yui scoffed. “Nice of you to notice.” She rolled her eyes with an angry sigh. “I guess I’m going to get the kitchen set up.”

Ranko winced a bit at the tension. “Here, Mei, let me come help?” Mei didn’t react either way, but disappeared into the kitchen and Ranko followed behind.

As Mei had already taken to preparing a dredge for the chicken wings, Ranko began pouring flour and water into the steel bowl at the base of their countertop mixer, starting to get the pizza dough prepared. “Hey, Mei, are you okay?”

Mei growled a bit in response. “Why is everybody asking me that all the time lately? I’ve just been busy.”

The younger girl nodded quietly, beginning to worry that there really was a reason to worry about her. “Well, you know, if there’s anything you want to talk about, you know I’m here, is all.”

Mei looked up from her tray, and smiled. “Yeah, I know. Thanks, hon. I just…” She blushed a little bit, and her smile widened. “I’ve been seeing somebody.”

Ranko gave a surprised little gasp and smiled. “Well that’s great! I’m so happy for you! Tell me about him? Or her?”

Mei sighed happily. “My gods, Ranko, he’s so handsome, and the way he talks is so, I don’t know, almost regal.”

Ranko nodded, rotating her wrist sideways in a “please continue” gesture with a little giggle.

“He’s super popular, too. He’s one of the top athletes at the school. Like, he’s set famous records and stuff. Though, not as many since he and his partner split up.”

Ranko looked up, a little confused. “Partner? What sport does he play?”

“Believe it or not? Figure skating! You wouldn’t think that would be so popular, but ever since he started, he’s only ever lost one match. I guess it doesn’t matter what you do, they love you if you win.”

Ranko’s face fell. Oh, no, she thought to herself. “Wh…what’s his name?” Please be wrong, she thought. Please be wrong.

Mei smiled brightly, a dreamy look in her eyes. “Mikado Sanzenin.”

Ranko felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach, and the room started to spin a little bit. Not him. Not here. Anything but that. Ryoga, Shampoo, hell, her father could find her here. But Sanzenin? After everything he took from her? Her mind flashed back to that day. Being lifted off her feet, restrained helplessly, and kissed. Taken. Violated. She looked up at Mei, still blissfully humming as she measured out spices for the fried chicken. Could she tell her? Could she not?

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A quiet “Oh.” was all she could muster.

“Well, glad to see you’re so excited.” Mei scoffed, flicking a fingerful of flour in Ranko’s direction.

Ranko did not seem amused by her antics, though, and her eyes had significantly clouded with a dark sadness all of a sudden. “What got into you? I thought you were supposed to be Little Miss Holly Jolly today.”

Ranko sat down, swallowing hard. “Mei, you shouldn’t see this guy anymore.”

Mei’s demeanor changed instantly, anger rising in her eyes. “Why not? He’s amazing, and he’s actually interested in me. I mean, he asked me out; I didn’t even have to chase him. He makes me feel special.”

Ranko sighed. She couldn’t tell her the truth. She wanted to, but doing so would admit what Mikado had done to her, and also tie a direct line back to her former life. She didn’t imagine it would be that difficult to look up in the records to see just to whom the Golden Pair had suffered their only defeat. At least, the victor’s name wouldn’t have been recorded as Ranko Tendo, but a photograph would be hard to deny.

“I just have a bad feeling about him, okay? Please just trust me.”

Mei slammed the metal tray down on the counter, a cloud of flour poofing out at its sides. “You’ve never even met him!”

If only, Ranko thought to herself.

“I’ve finally got somebody that’s interested in me, and all you do is tell me not to see him?! You can’t just be happy for me? I can’t believe you!”

Ranko’s eyes widened. This was not going well. “I… I just don’t want to see you get hurt, okay?”

Mei roared at her in anger, rocking the redhead back in shock. “Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do!? After everything we’ve done for you!? You’ve barely been here a month, and all of a sudden you’re everybody’s perfect little princess! So excuse me if I found the last person left in this place that isn’t too busy worshiping you to notice someone else!”

Ranko gasped. “Mei, I…”

The saloon door opened and Yui peeked inside, just as Mei thrust the steel tray forward with a furious scream, coating Ranko’s face and shirt with flour and paprika and starting her coughing. “Just forget it. I’m out of here!” She motioned with her head up at Yui. “Go on, Ranko. Your adoring fans await.” She spun on her heel and crashed through the back door with a loud bang, leaving it hanging halfway open as she turned to run down the alley toward the street.

“What in the actual hell was that about?”

Ranko turned on her stool to face Yui, a tear beginning to form in her right eye. She was crying so much more since she became a girl, and she didn’t like it at all. She couldn’t believe how quickly Mei turned on her. If only she had known what he had done. Who he really was. Mei was right to be angry, though. She had every bit of proof to back up her advice, and hadn’t been brave enough to share it.

“She, um…” Ranko wiped the corner of her eye with a napkin. “She’s got a boyfriend.”

Yui’s stance softened a little, but her face wrinkled in perplexity. “That’s what’s got her so pissed off? How’s that happen?”

Ranko shook her head. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy, Yui. I tried to tell her, and…” She gestured to the open door.

Yui frowned. “Do you know something about him?”

Ranko gulped. All she had to do was say it, and she couldn’t. Akane and untold hundreds of people in that arena had seen how he shamed her. She couldn’t bear one more person knowing, especially one who could carry that knowledge into her new life. She felt like trash for having been defeated and used that way, and she could not stomach the thought of her new family looking down on her with the same disgust that her father had. “Just a feeling.”

“You gotta be careful with stuff like that. She’s really upset!”

Ranko nodded. “I know, and I feel terrible. I just don’t want her to get hurt.”

Yui stepped forward and put a hand on Ranko’s shoulder, brushing some flour off her shirt. “Sometimes you gotta let people make their own decisions. Be there for them if things go bad, but don’t assume the worst and make them doubt the good things when they come.”

Ranko desperately wanted any hope to hold onto that she could be wrong, but could find none.