[ARC 20: (NOT) BORN IN THE USA]

Matoi had a strong sense of self-reliance, and didn't think to ask for help when she could do it with four times the work. On March 16th, the Elite Four met in the Elite Four's office for the leader of the Elite Four's announcement.

"As you all already know, thanks to my mother -"

" - you can stop with the formality, c'mon." laughed Samuel, and Matoi smirked.

"Fine. Rin is coming to visit tomorrow, and she'll be staying for two weeks."

"Ooo." said Marisa. "Are you gonna be all like, romantic with her?"

"Is - this is the first time you're seeing her since Japan, correct?" said Mia, and Matoi's nodding dodged the tease.

"It is, yes. She's fluent in English, but I'll translate for her if needed."

"Probably'll be good practice for her, too." said Samuel. "Getting immersed and all that."

Matoi nodded. "She'll be using honorifics, as well. They're enough of a habit that she'll likely slip in to them, regardless. I had to spend a year unlearning them."

"Honorifics?" said Mia.

"Japanese uses suffixes at the ends of names to show respect, or familiarity. While we were in Japan, Daishi called me Matoi-sama - and I presume Rin will still say Matoi-kun for myself, along with -san for the rest of you." Sensing the imminent question, she held her hand up; " - kun is familiar. San is equal."

"Samuel-san, then." nodded Samuel-san.

"Don't even start." (The four laughed.) "I'll be picking her up from the airport tomorrow - around three. I've already made sure her badge will be recognized here, though I'll be telling the staff not to give me any contracts for the next two weeks."

"Nice." Marisa grinned.

Mia started. "Er, speaking of the staff, did you already -"

" - I did." Matoi had bought another round recently. "I'll be giving half of it to Armstrong later - I'll send you the rest once it's better organized."

"You know, he's going to start to feel emasculated at some point." said Samuel and Mia laughed.

"Exactly what he deserves."

"Jeeeez." said Marisa.

"Regardless." laughed Matoi. "I was planning on bringing her back here, and we'll have dinner with her."

"Sounds good. So like - around four or five, maybe?" (Matoi nodded.) "Cool."

"We could go to an all-you-can eat buffet -" started Samuel and Matoi laughed -

" - as fucking if -"

" - that's where you want to go -" laughed Mia - " - it's her first time in America -"

" - and she can see all that we have to offer -" laughed Samuel -

" - go be a pig on your own time." laughed Matoi, as did the rest. "Regardless - that's all I wanted to talk to you about. I'll be meeting with Armstrong in a few minutes."

"Good luck." chimed Marisa and Mia nodded.

"Have you heard anything from... Serena and the others?"

"I haven't - though the Revenant they're dealing with usually disables phones." said Matoi. "They did well on their first task, however. It only took them a day to deal with it."

"Good." Mia smiled. She'd gone through enough death scares by now that she didn't let it bother her, and although she wasn't sure how Serena was as a leader, she'd still recommended her to Matoi.

"I'll let you know if I hear anything."

◆◆◆

The following three, Matoi pulled up ahead of Terminal 2 and waited for Rin. Matoi was used to the lack of physical affection, and though she felt sure it still wouldn't be a large part of their relationship, she was still excited to see Rin again. She'd never dated anyone before, though Rin had a few ex-girlfriends that she seemingly didn't like and had asked Matoi for reassurance frequently in their first months together.

She hadn't planned any dates, but Rin was the tourist and probably would have plenty of ideas. At Rin's request, she had already planned a training session for her, as Rin wanted to keep her skills up before returning to Ueno. Most people would have taken the excuse of a full vacation, but she did not like most people.

Right when March 30th entered her head, she looked outward and saw Rin coming out of the airport, face smiling over her luggage. Matoi stepped out and took Rin's bags to the trunk, and once Matoi sat back in the driver's seat, Rin got in beside, smile filling her face.

"Matoi-kun! (Can you find some place to park?)"

"(Of course.)" She smiled and pulled out, and once she parked in another lot, Rin threw her arms around her and started showering kisses on her.

"(I'm really happy to see you again.)" chimed Rin, relevantly.

"(So am I.)"

Matoi started thinking about how stupid they looked as her & Rin kissed another few times. She'd expected Rin to be affectionate, partially because Rin was in to yuri manga & romance novels, and though she did find it amusing, she found herself hoping Rin wouldn't keep it up around the others; then slightly guilty for hoping that.

She hugged Rin stiffly, then kissed her before she started driving again. "(Did everything go alright with your flight?)"

Rin nodded. "(Yes, it - it did.)" She yawned. "(I-I slept a little on the way here, but - it'll take a day for me to adjust, I'm sorry.)"

"(It's alright. I was worried you might've run in to a Revenant.)"

"(No, no, no Revenant. They did - before I boarded, they asked me if I was going to visit Urasaria.)" Rin smiled. She was starting to think of what her & Matoi would do for the next weeks, and some of them were even sexual! "(I told them I was going to visit you. Was that alright?)"

"(It is.)" Matoi nodded as she pulled out to the highway.

"(Good. I wasn't sure if… well. Well, we're both - both hosts anyway, right?)" said Rin and Matoi laughed.

"(It's more accepted here than in Japan. Don't worry about being public about it here.)

"(Good. It's - it's starting to become more accepted, too, but…)" Rin laid her head on Matoi's shoulder. "(…mm. I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to focus on my Matoi.)"

"(I'm sure you already have plenty of adventures planned.)"

"(Yes. I already -)" - she laughed - "( - I already have a, a list from Junpei of everything to try. And a few souvenirs to bring back. And a lot of food. America has a lot more sweets than Japan, right?)"

"(And much bigger portions. Look at the average size of people here compared to Japan.)"

Rin laughed, having noticed it immediately even if she felt mean for it. "(I'll have to be careful with my weight, then. Remember that I'm lactose intolerant.)"

"(I'll check the ingredients for you.)"

"(Good. He was telling me about, um… Bakeries, sweets, deodorant -")

"( - he mentioned that?)" laughed Matoi -

"( - well, he - he wanted to be thorough!)" laughed Rin. "(And especially, um, hotdogs and hamburgers.)"

"(Of course.)"

"( - wait, I'm sorry -)" - Rin pointed to an exit sign - "( - can we go to 7/11? They sell hotdogs, don't they?)"

"(You want your first meal in America to be gas station food?)" laughed Matoi, and remembering the cultural difference - "( - they're worse here. Worse than fast food.)"

"(Then everything past that will be an improvement.)" chimed Rin, as Matoi took the next exit. Rin didn't know these small patches of town off of interstate highways were all cut from the same quilt of gas stations, hotels and diners, but she had never driven and always walked or took Ueno's trains.

Rin could tell Matoi was acting a little stiff, but she'd often been like that over video too & even back in Japan; so she didn't let it bother her yet. She thought of when Matoi had said she loved her a month ago, then smiled as they pulled in to the gas station's lot. "(Can we speak in English a little?)"

"(Yes. Did you want to practice?)"

"Yes." Rin nodded as they got out, speaking as they went inside the store. "What will… we do when we come to Urasaria?"

"I was planning on us having dinner with the rest of the Elite Four - if that's alright."

"Good. Yes." Rin smiled. Matoi led her down to the aisles of snacks & Rin started handing bags to her. "Is - it's alright to do this, yes? Talking?"

"It is, don't worry." laughed Matoi. "I'll let you know about etiquette."

"Good. I - I tried to learn things from Junpei, but - it was all American television -"

" - it's not all inaccurate." laughed Matoi. "Still - they won't be upset at you if you forget etiquette. It's not as important here."

"Hopefully." chimed Rin. She gathered another few bags, a soda, a hotdog, and Matoi paid for them. The two went outside and back in to their car. Matoi peeled her window down as she started the engine, and in the next instant -

- her car lurched forward -

" - Sekisetsu!" shouted Rin -

- and froze it right before it could crash in to the convenience store's wall ahead; the two shot up and got out, Rin still with drink in-hand -

" - agh." she winced as she glanced back, seeing her hotdog frozen to her seat of ice. As the two stepped out of the car, something sticky touched their ankles; their eyes shot down -

- and saw colonies of barnacles gnawing at their heels and stuck to their skin; Rin froze them alive and plucked them off, and Matoi on the other end blasted them away with Wedding's missiles, veil fully formed as Rin stepped up behind the vehicle -

"( - Matoi! Barnacles!)" she shouted, relevantly, exhaust pipe leaking brown & sticky creatures -

"( - it's still running.)" sighed Matoi to her car. She dipped her hand inside the window as Rin rushed up beside her -

- but more barnacles started oozing out of her air conditioning's vents, forming solid hands and gripping Matoi's wrist tight, and as they yanked her against her car -

" - Kekkonshiki!" she shouted; two lasers hit the pests -

- but up her arm they still grew, seemingly unaffected and starting to sap her strength; at her side, a red icicle formed in Rin's hand -

"( - sorry.)" she winced, and slashed down Matoi's arm; blood gushed out and dripped down her arm & underneath the barnacles - " - Sekisetsu!"

- and the foul creatures fell off like tongues stuck to frozen poles as Matoi's blood turned to ice, slipping off with the frozen case over her arm. With no time to waste, Matoi shut down her engine, and the two stepped back carefully. They saw more colonies of barnacles fading underneath the car as a scream rose from within the store, and Rin readied to rush inside -

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"( - wait.)" said Matoi, eyes careful on the front door. "(Don't go in yet.)"

"(I - yes.)" nodded Rin quickly. "(Barnacles. Barnacles that - do they suck energy? Um, temperature?)" She nodded again and laughed. "(I have it.)"

Matoi laughed as she saw Rin shake her soda. "(Go ahead.)"

"(I'll clean it with Fallen Snow after.)" she laughed -

- and dumped her soda on Matoi's head; a second soda for herself, and the two dripped in liquid thicker than blood, Sekisetsu ready to freeze off another barnacle barrage. Matoi rushed up to the store's wall, and Rin readied beside as Wedding's eyes grew heated, but in the next instant -

- they saw a man burst out of the store's doors, eyes widening as he saw the two - " - gotta be fucking -"

" - Urasaria!" shouted Matoi; one missile burst out of her shoulder and flew towards him -

- but the next scene was instant. Barnacles formed on his arms as he raised them to block -

- and the explosion only tore off half of the stubborn colonies as he staggered back, starting his fleeing between the tanks of petrol & away from the women. Rin laughed as they rushed in pursuit, another idea growing in her head that she whispered to Matoi; Matoi nodded, and in the next instant -

- barnacles formed on the gas tanks; Wedding's lasers shot towards the man as he fled -

- and a dozen geysers of gasoline burst out to block the heated beam's path -

- but her lasers retreated back to their cold home just in time for her missiles to burst out of her shoulders, and as they hit the foul streams, the shockwaves blasted them towards the man -

- who turned and cursed as he started dripping in gas, barnacles desperately forming as his clothes were drenched; one single streak connected him to Rin, and in the next instant -

" - Sekisetsu!" she shouted, hands sweeping down as Matoi fired another explosive barrage; his barnacle-arms made to block it again -

- and as he felt the gasoline freeze & fall away, taking his protection away with it, he was doomed and he knew it -

- and the explosions blew him in to a dozen chunks of gore, Rin laughing shocked beside as his body parts scattered all over the lot and his blood rained down, nothing but twelfths left of him and a still beating heart ahead.

"(That - that was very, very violent.)" she laughed, relevantly.

"(Are you alright?)" laughed Matoi, and Rin nodded as they came up to 1/12th of the corpse.

"(Just - just a bit surprised, but - yes.)" she laughed.

"(Good.)" smirked Matoi, taking her tablet out to scan.

"(Is that the scanner?)" said Rin, and Matoi nodded.

"(There's a professional that retrieves Revenants once they're scanned. Similar to Junpei.)"

"(Ah.)" Rin nodded. Sekisetsu froze the excess liquid off the two, and they went back to Matoi's car. "(And no reports, then?)"

"(No reports. No testimonies.)"

Rin laughed. "(Much more…) … stream linened?"

"Streamlined. Did you want to keep practicing your English?"

"Yes." As they got inside, Rin reached over to hold Matoi's shoulder. "If that's alright."

"I - it - is." muttered Matoi.

"Can we practice what we just said, but in English?"

"I - yes."

The two practiced while Matoi drove, though Rin's affection was embarrassing her, and she couldn't tell why. She didn't care what others would think, but her mind's eyes on herself mattered & that she could avoid peering back at that moment, wondering how she could've ever let herself look like she was in some melodramatic scene of love.

She texted the other three to let them know she was arriving soon, and pulled up to Urasaria an hour later. Mia & Marisa got in the back and Samuel squeezed in beside. After their reintroductions, Samuel said to Matoi; " - did you run in to anything on the way here?"

"We ran in to a Revenant - but we dealt with it."

"Nice." said Marisa. "Uh, sorry if this is like, weird to ask, but - did you kill them?"

"We did." said Rin. "Matoi-kun did already told me that - it's different in America."

"It is." said Mia. "There's no need to report to the police, either."

"I already told her." laughed Matoi as she started driving. "She doesn't have any issue with killing scum."

"Mmhm." Rin nodded. She took no displeasure in violence. There were simply people with Revenants who wanted to harm others, and it was her job to deal with them non-lethally in Japan & lethally in America.

"Cool. Yeah, like." said Marisa. "It's kinda nice since you can just like, scan the Revenant and go somewhere else."

"And that's why we don't get paid as much." nodded Samuel and the five laughed. "Rin's the richest one in this car, isn't she?"

"I - I'm not sure, but -" - Rin laughed - " - how much do Urasaria students make?"

"Three hundred thousand yen a month." said Matoi and Rin's face pinched.

"…well. Well, um..." She paused. Americans (and Junpei) were more open to discussing these things, but she admittedly preferred it. "Last month, they raised our pay to… six hundred thousand yen a month -"

" - so double whatever we make." laughed Samuel, and Rin nodded smiling.

"Yes. That reminds me - Matoi-kun, can we - I need to… to, ano…" She paused. "(…convert my money?)"

"'Convert my money'. We'll stop somewhere on the way back."

"Thank you. And, ano…" She smiled like a sheep as she glanced at the three. "I - am sorry if my - I don't know etiquette very well, but -"

" - it's alright." smiled Mia. Rin smiled and nodded, then glanced at Matoi.

"(…um. Are the rest lesbians, also?)"

"(They are.)" said Matoi. "Rin asked if the rest of you are lesbians."

"Yes." nodded Samuel. Rin laughed and the rest groaned.

"Yep." chimed Marisa. "And half of us have girlfriends, right?"

"Half of us - yes." laughed Mia.

"You know, no one's ever asked me if there's a Ms. Boar." said Samuel and the four laughed.

"(The day Samuel gets a girlfriend is the day the rats in the ceiling stop laughing.)" said Matoi; Rin burst in to laughter -

" - I'm - sorry! Sorry -"

" - what did you say?" laughed Samuel; Matoi's head shook -

" - you wouldn't understand it -"

"( - doesn't it translate?)" laughed Rin -

" - this is the worst, like -" laughed Marisa - " - you two just - this isn't even fair -"

" - I'm sure you'll find someone that accepts you for who you are, Samuel." said Matoi, stifling her smirk to the rearview.

"We'll see."

"But you'll still be the last." said Mia.

"Uh, I dunno about that." said Marisa. "Like, I keep trying, but -"

" - weren't you talking to a certain second-year recently?" Mia grinned.

"Wait, doesn't she have a girlfriend? -"

" - they broke up a few months ago." said Mia as they pulled in to the restaurant's parking lot.

"You see what I've gone through all year, yes?" said Samuel and Rin laughed, nodding as they got out.

"I see, yes."

"And you'll go through it again next year." chimed Mia, relevantly.

"Yeah." laughed Marisa. "You already have your like, squad planned, right?"

Mia nodded as the five went inside and Rin smiled as she looked at Matoi. She was excited for their first night together & already had two weeks of dates planned out. They ordered dinner, and Rin liked that the four seemed to be genuine friends. She liked everybody at Ueno too, but ever since Daishi had become president, he'd been trying too hard to force what should've come naturally.

Eventually, Ueno came up.

"Yes." Rin nodded. "Junpei has been - he wanted to visit, but - the government does not like him travelling anywhere."

"Because of how like, important he is?" said Marisa and Rin nodded.

"Has, er…" Mia said. "…has he - been alright? Since the, er - since our visit?"

"Yes." Rin nodded. "He says that… ano… ano. says that… One - one second, please." She laughed nervously and paused. "… Bōkun has been quicker. He still has the - the scar. But - but he is alright, now."

She thought about mentioning last month. One of Japan's more fringe right-wing parties had landed an interview with him, thinking he'd blame Mia for his injury a few months back, but the clip of him defending the four had gone viral. However, she also didn't want to remind Mia, thinking she was still bothered by it.

"But - but as for the rest of, of Ueno." she nodded quickly. "And Daishi will be graduation soon. He was telling us that he… (Can you translate, Matoi?)"

"(Go ahead.)"

"(He was telling us about how - with how the election is probably going to go, he felt a little conflicted about it. About taking a government job. Is it alright to talk about that?)"

"(It is. Americans talk about politics more openly.)" Matoi nodded and paused. "Daishi is conflicted over being hired by the government."

"…oof." Marisa winced. "Yeah, like… Does he -have- to work for the government?"

"He, thinks that it's - that it is better to have someone more, ah, more 'stable' helping them." laughed Rin. "And Matoi-kun already knows who may be next president. Yes?"

"I do. Are you going to accept it if they vote for you?" smirked Matoi and Rin smiled.

"But - but I would get to see you even less -"

" - she'll be graduating this year, though." chimed Mia and Marisa nodded.

"Yeah, she's gonna like, work in an agency with me."

"Good." said Rin. "But - but yes. I was thinking about it, but…" She leaned back, wiping her eyes as she laughed. "I was - I'm almost hoping that they vote me for vice president, because - because it's all of the benefits with - ( - the responsibilities? -)"

- Matoi laughed - " - none of the responsibilities -"

- as did the rest.

"Yep." chimed Marisa. "That's why like - when Matoi beat me for president, like - I wasn't even mad -"

" - aren't I technically vice president?" laughed Mia. "Rank #2?"

" - that's because you could actually go out hunting over the summer!" laughed Marisa, gesturing to Matoi. "Like -"

" - go ahead." laughed Matoi, starting her meal.

"Like - okay, so. She wanted us to start training over the summer after she became president, right?"

"Yes." nodded Rin.

"But Mia and Samuel got to go with their proteges until like, the next semester started or whatever. So, we ended up falling in rank because, like -" - she laughed - " - Matoi is trying to - our first week training or whatever, she rented out some cabin in the woods -"

" - the day of a thousand strands." droned Matoi's and the four laughed.

" - yeah! She - she seriously…" She started giggling. "…told me to use my strands to like - she took it like she was tugging a rope. And I had to brace myself against like, the cabin using strings and stuff."

"I - I just realized." laughed Mia. "I didn't realize the - the first time you told this, but - it was a cabin, yes?"

"Yeah. Like, three or four of them -"

" - it was." laughed Matoi to Mia. "I had asked Sarah about it."

"Sarah. That was her name." nodded Mia, relevantly.

"Yeah." said Marisa. "But she like - I ended up accidentally just using the door -"

- Matoi burst in to laughter - " - and the entire -"

" - she just rips the entire fucking cabin out -" cackled Marisa - " - like -"

" - I - I turned and saw it - I thought you were angry at me -"

" - I mean, that was our -" - the five laughed as Marisa continued - " - just our first week, so like. I wasn't that frustrated yet."

(Marisa liked Matoi, but might've preferred Mia's presidency if only for the summer.)

"What - what was, I'm sorry -" laughed Rin - " - the, the word you used?"

"Which one?"

"'She rips the cabin out. You said - faking?"

"Oh boy." said Samuel, relevantly, and the helpless natives laughed.

"Are you - do you mean fucking?" said Mia, and Rin nodded. "It's, er - a swear -"

" - I'll explain it to her." laughed Matoi. "(English has words specifically for…)" She paused. "(…it's.) Sonna kota iyagaru na. (In English, it would be similar to…) 'Don't -fucking- say that.' (It's not meant as disrespectfully, usually.)"

"(Ah.)" she nodded. "(Thank you, Matoi.)"

"It's a sentence enhancer." nodded Samuel, sagely.

Mia laughed, remembering her teaching Yamato. "Or for emphasizing something. Excitement."

"Correct." said Matoi. "(You would use it with friends - but not with strangers.)"

Rin nodded, and smiled as she tapped Matoi's shoulder. "Then, fucking Matoi-kun -"

- and the two blushed as Mia&Marisa burst in to laughter -

" - is - is that incorrect?" said Rin, looking to Matoi -

" - uh," laughed Marisa, " - that's for you two later-"

" - it's - it means something else in that context." muttered Matoi as Samuel shook his head laughing.

"O-Oh." laughed Rin nervously. "I, I am sorry if -"

" - no, it's, it's alright." laughed Mia. "It just - it does mean, er, something else when used like that."

"Yep." chimed Marisa as they finished up. "Are we gonna get any desserts?"

"Still think we should've gone to a buffet, you know." said Samuel as he rechecked his menu.

"Junpei told me to, as well. A buffet." nodded Rin. "The - the plate sizes are already bigger, too."

"And they wonder how we get so fat." nodded Samuel and the rest laughed. Matoi checked Rin's menu for allergies, and the helpless foreigner laughed once her slice of pie came.

"This is much bigger than I was expecting."

"Everything's bigger in America." nodded Samuel, relevantly. "Food, soda, calories - everything."

"Convenient for you." said Matoi and the four laughed.

Rin nodded as she ate. She thought it was too sweet, but didn't want to offend them by not finishing her plate. Once she finished up, Matoi paid and explained to her what tipping was, as she'd been confused why she left money on the table.

"Ah." nodded Rin as they went outside. "That was, um - very, very good. Thank you."

"Cool." chimed Marisa. "Uh, are we gonna like, head back now?"

Matoi shook her head. "Not myself and Rin. I - er - wanted to spend some time alone with her."

"Aww." Marisa grinned. "Have fun!"

"We will." said Rin, and she smiled to Matoi as the rest went away, placing her hand on Matoi's. The white wedding tensed as they started walking. "I like them."

"I - good." said Matoi. "I already cleared my schedule for, er, the next two weeks."

"Good. Two weeks with my Matoi-kun."

Matoi tried not to blush. She felt Rin had a different ideal of this trip in her head, like she was some yuri princess to be wooed by ready-made poetry & cliched declarations. Matoi had enjoyed those stories when she was a teenager too, but she'd grown past being immature enough to think they were anything more than cheesy panels of love.

"(…the plate sizes really are bigger, though.)" said Rin and Matoi nodded.

"(Don't worry if you don't eat all of it.)"

"(Is that how Samuel got that way?)" said Rin and Matoi laughed. Back in his first year, he had ate out frequently. Matoi's kitchen couldn't accommodate both their appetites, and now he would need three pizzas a day to gain any more muscle. Currently, he was weighing himself & his options.

"(I did train him for a year, you know.)"

Rin nodded and held Matoi's hand. Back in Japan, people seldom showed affection in public, and Matoi had admittedly hoped Rin would be more representative than she turned out to be. "(Is there, um… karaoke in America?)"

"(I - not - no.)" muttered Matoi, knowing why she'd asked. "(It's not as popular as in Japan.)"

"(If only.)" chimed Rin, worry starting up again. "(Um, did I do anything wrong with my etiquette?)"

"(No, you did fine. They won't judge you for that.)"

"(Good. Um. Can we practice a, a little English, please?)" said Rin.

She was in that too-annoying spot of being twenty with confidence built up in some matters where others hadn't sprouted yet. Her first thought was that she had bothered Matoi over something - her in-person appearance? A mix-up in etiquette? No, Matoi had seen her in-person before, and was not one for manners. The two talked for a while, and Rin decided to take a new tack.

"…mmm." Rin yawned. "(Matoi, can we go home? I'm feeling a little sleepy.)"

"(I - of course.)" said Matoi.

As they began walking back to Matoi's car, Rin tried to fill up her anxiety by asking questions about Urasaria. Matoi seemed looser once they were back on the road, and Rin was starting to figure it out, even if she wasn't sure how to solve her girlfriend.

They went back to Matoi's mansion, and, with a little exaggeration, Rin gasped as they stepped inside.

"(…wow. Well.)" Rin laughed. "(This - this is much better than Ueno, at least. Will we be sleeping in the same bed?)"

"(I - yes. If you want.)"

"(Is there a reason I wouldn't?)" chimed Rin, hoping Matoi found her amusing. "(Do you have bedbugs or something else I shouldn't know about?)"

"(I - no, nothing like that.)" said Matoi, trying to untense. "(I wasn't sure if you would be alright with that.)"

"(I am.)" Rin smiled and Matoi led her to her bedroom, which had a widescreen. Rin laid down first, moving closer to Matoi as she laid down beside.

"(Did you want to go to sleep?)" muttered Matoi, and Rin's head shook on her shoulder.

"(Mmm… not yet. Can we, um… watch something?)"

Matoi nodded and took the remote off her nightstand. She went through channels until Rin asked for a gameshow.

"In March of this year, this Japanese academy was founded - the equivalent to Urasaria!" said the screen.

"…ano…" muttered Rin. "(...1987?)"

"(1983.)" said Matoi, and Rin smiled as her girlfriend got it right.

"(I was never, um, very good at history. Too much practicing with Fallen Snow.)"

"(That's more important, regardless.)" said Matoi and Rin laughed. "(Do you - do you have enough room?)"

"(Mmhm. Is this alright?)"

"(It - it is.)"

Rin nodded slowly. After a minute, she said; "(…just don't summon Wedding.)"

"(I - won't.)"

Rin closed her eyes. "(…I love you.)"

"(I love you too.)"