For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls“OMG, Gen-chan, look, look, look”

Hardly does Gentaro have time to question Hifumi before he shoves a phone into his face, a pair of unfamiliar figures dressed in black and white on the screen. Arm in arm, eyes only for each other, they descend the steps of the chapel in a cascade of blossoms and cheers — but even brighter than this idyllic image is Hifumi himself.

EosGentaro awakens to Ramuda's arms wrapped around his waist, the rumble of Dice's snoring, and gentle fingers running through his hair. Tempting is it to keep his eyes shut, to nestle into that strangely familiar warmth caressing him, but the pounding in his head refuses to relent. Try as he might to return to the land of dreams, sleep has forsaken him.

Urifutatsu"Good morning, Brother, how do you do It's quite nice today, shall I open the curtains"

With the heart monitor's beep of approval, Gentaro walks over to the window and allows the light in. The sunbeams wash over him in waves of nostalgia, its warmth incomparable to the hand that he clings onto in his memories. From the courtyard, the laughter of another patient and their loved ones rings out. Gentaro's fists curl around the curtains, the fabric threatening to tear in his grasp, but he manages to fix the mask that's been bequeathed to him before taking his rightful place at his brother's side.

Smoke and Mirrors"Welcome, welcome~"

As always, that grating shrill drowns out the chime of the doorbell as Gentaro accompanies his brother into The Paw Print. Though Jitsuyo dons a polite smile on his lips, poised with a calm composure and unshakable serenity, Gentaro struggles to keep a straight face at the sight of the café's proprietor. Truly, how unfortunate that this fine establishment belongs to such a brainless blatherskite.

Arms LengthLike a lone clap of thunder, Jakurai sits upon a throne that overlooks humanity — an honor hard-earned, but an honor arduous as well. Acknowledging how heavy this crown is would be admitting that he is fallible, so instead he fits himself to the expectations of those who'd extolled him, of the sins that require penance, and wears glory with not a single complaint about its weight.

Hypothetically Speaking"If I wasn't who I said I was, would you still love me"

The question finally spills out of Gentaro's mouth after tormenting him for much longer than he'll ever admit, his worry masked as an author's inquiry. For what it's worth, Hifumi doesn't veer into his tendency to talk without thinking this time around — a silver lining in the uncertainties that cloud the fate of their relationship.

With the Party of Words after their heads, Fling Posse's plan is to hide. Ramuda, he and Dice ensured, is secure at the hotel and so now it’s their turn to disappear. Splitting ways with Dice, Gentaro's feet lead him to safety — or rather, the illusion of it. A luxury apartment in Shinjuku. He, more than anyone, knows better than to fall for a fool's paradise, but then again, it's exactly because he's fallen for the fool in question that he finds himself here.