As I laid in my hospital bed, Tetsu was holding me. My limbs were weak and didn't want to move, but it looked like my vitals were stable. He'd been on the phone for a while, talking to Keitaro. It seemed to be soothing him, so I was enjoying listening.

"You are right, I know that. I need to get my mind off it. But, you don't understand. I didn't know what to do. What Yokohara-sensei might have said really rattled us. Yami is inconsolable. I don't even know where he went. He might not be in the building anymore." His face looked considerate as he listened to Keitaro's reply. His smile made me fill with relief. "You're looking out the window of your apartment? Haha, you don't see him? Well, then he can't have gotten far. Haha, you're right."

His laughter was like a pin letting out pressure.

"Hmm? Ohh, that would be good. We're in the neighborhood. Tomorrow? If Sana is feeling better... Well no, we shouldn't reschedule. If we can't attend in person, I can video call you. This is so important, and I know Sana will be determined for this, too. No, no. You've been planning this meeting for so long. If we can't come, we can video call during it. We've gotten so much done in the past week. We even have final song picks for our set list. All we have to do is get them figured out for the arrangements... No, you're right, I don't really know how it works. I'm just a pretty face? Keitaro!" He started giggling so much. I wanted to squeeze him.

He went on after a pause, composing himself. "Yeah, we have some good songs. Some things Lyra has performed before, and other songs are new to them. But, they're all songs that are familiar. I know all the lyrics already, but how they're arranged will be different. I'll have to get used to them in that regard. You were right that picking familiar songs would expedite the process." He giggled again. "You are always right. You don't know that?" Keitaro was laughing so hard that I could hear him, too. "Anyway, what are you doing now?"

Tetsu was correct about one thing, though. From what he was saying, there was a meeting at Fleeting World tomorrow with everyone. I was determined to go. I knew I had to be in here to recover, and I needed it, but nothing could stop me from going to that meeting. I could already see everyone's faces in my mind, counting on me.

Ever since earlier today, when we'd called Yokohara-sensei, there was a new determination in me. Gone were my scared thoughts. There was still the ease of acceptance inside. Knowing my fate, not fighting. It was translating to other aspects of life. No fear for the unknown, accepting that whatever would happen, would happen. Tumbling forward, experiencing the unknown rather than wanting to run away from it. That's what all this meant to me.

And speaking of those songs. I had to work on them. I knew what my fate was, but what was the fate of everyone else? I had to work hard so that they could succeed. Even if I couldn't do as much as they wanted me to, I had to do at least this.

As Tetsu was talking, I had an idea. A mental note was forming in my mind.

"That's so sweet. Well, if your son wants to play baseball with you, then you should do it before it gets dark. I can already see the sun setting in the horizon." Tetsu paused. "Of course there's still time to go to the park. You should walk there, so you have more time together. Don't take a car." He sighed happily. "Go have a nice time. Think about work tomorrow. You only have a couple of days off before you have to go up north. Go, go. Stop talking to me!" They were laughing together again. "Okay, bye. See you later."

He hung up, and placed his cellphone on the table. A bright smile came for me as he turned around. Talking to Keitaro had brightened his mood so much, all the worry washed away, replaced now with his gentle happiness.

His hand went under the blanket, and I wiggled and grinned as he tickled my belly lightly. Ah, this playfulness. It was wonderful after the tenseness of today and last night. He got a few giggles out of me, and his arms wrapped around my body, pulling me close. My toes twitched a couple of times in simple response to being so close to him, pleasure going to the farthest corners of my body. His face pressed against my forehead, his softness and warmth like a returning Spring.

"Tetsu," I said, wasting no time. This thing I had thought of as they were talking. My role in all of this. He had to know before it left my mind.

"Hmm? Darling." I felt his smile on my forehead. So cute.

"I heard you talking about the songs."

"Mmhmm." He kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes in pleasure.

"I think I should write two versions of the songs. I know it'll double my workload, but it's the perfect solution."

"Two versions? Why?" He parted from me, and I saw his curious face in the fading light of the evening.

Small thoughts were coming, wondering if I was going to disappoint him. But, in my mind, I turned away from these thoughts. The determination he was talking about on the phone. I had it in me. He had to be right.

"Just in case I can't perform, or as much as I want to. That way, we can give a full show either way. I'll write a version for me, and a version for you."

He was about to say something, his pretty mouth opening, but I had to speak fast before these thoughts left.

"I know everyone wants me to do every song. I've heard them, especially Yami. But, that's just not possible. I know myself. This way, we can give the fans any kind of show. It'll never be the same twice. You know how Lyra is. We don't like doing the same thing twice. Isn't it better this way? Isn't that Lyra's philosophy?"

His arms held me tighter, and his lips returned to my forehead, making my eyelids close again in love.

"I believe in you." Said quietly, full of his own love. His hand slid down my back and up again slowly, adoring me. It made me speechless.

As the light faded, and it became night, there was a knock on our door. I was propped up, eating some soup from the hospital menu. Tetsu was enjoying his own. We were watching a documentary on TV about an elderly woman and her love for all kinds of tea, and in the program she was going over them in detail. We'd both been watching enraptured, and Tetsu was especially so. His love of all things traditional was coming out as he leaned forward a little, hanging on to her every word. It made my heart light, seeing him enjoy himself after such a hard last few days.

"Come in," Tetsu called out. "I bet it's a nurse coming in to check your blood pressure," he said to me, squeezing my arm a bit in affection. "I'll tell them the readings lately have been better. They're doing a good job."

I nodded, watching his smile as he spoke. I wasn't the only one doing better.

However, to our surprise, Yami came inside instead of a nurse. He was carrying a bag of fast food. He plopped down on a chair and dug into it. I watched, mouth agape, as he opened up a box and shoved a cheeseburger into his mouth. The smell was the most tantalizing thing. My soup paled in comparison.

He ate for a while, looking up at the TV. We resumed eating, too, but Tetsu kept eyeing him with the same curious expression that he'd given me earlier. Complete bewilderment. Finally, he could take it no more.

"Where did you go?" He asked, his voice louder than the TV.

Yami put the last bit of cheeseburger into his mouth and gave a long sigh. "It's not important."

"Where did you go?" I reiterated. I knew he couldn't resist me.

He gave me an exasperated, but gentle look. "Around. Then I went to Burger King." He raised the bag on his knees for us to see. "How are you doing? Are they knocking down your blood pressure?"

So, Tetsu would be able to use his knowledge of my blood pressure after all. But, I wasn't done.

"Define 'around'."

He let out another sigh. It was obvious he was still upset. I wasn't going to back down, though. "I went for a walk."

"Where?"

"Along the river. I had to clear my head. I called my mom and told her what happened."

"Ah, I see. You were gone for a long time."

He nodded, staring down at his bag of food longingly. "Well, there was a lot to talk about. She apologized, and I told her that wasn't necessary. She didn't do anything wrong." His hand wandered into the bag as he was talking, and he pulled out a french fry. It went into his mouth as he stopped speaking. His mouth was still full when he spoke again. "How's your blood pressure?"

I finally answered his question, satisfied. "It's doing better. Not the best numbers, but it's improving."

"Good," he let out his breath in relief. "Maybe you can get out of here soon. This place is kind of soured to me." I opened my mouth to protest, but he rose his hand to get me to wait, a french fry between his fingers. He put it into his mouth as he spoke again. "I know I'm in the wrong, alright? My mom told me that. I know you two are always right. If I'm doing something and it isn't correct in you two's opinion, I already know I'm wrong. That's how it's always been. That's why I was walking for so long. I was trying to clear my head and accept it. I'll apologize to Yokohara-sensei when I can stomach it."

Thank goodness. I looked over at Tetsu, and he was giving me a small smile. It sounded resolved to me.

"Can I eat my food now?" Yami asked. "I'm starving."

"Absolutely," I said, going back to my own.

"What are you eating, anyway? Smells good." He opened up his bag again, bringing out a second cheeseburger. It was incredible.

"Chicken soup. It has corn, onion, and carrots. Kind of odd, but tasty."

"Sounds thrown together." He shoved the cheeseburger into his mouth again, and I wished with everything I had that it could be mine instead. He was right. My food was a little unappetizing, but I knew it was the right thing for me right now.

"Yeah, probably."

"What's this documentary about?" He asked, wasting no time. He looked up at the TV again. "Tea?"

"It's about tea in Shizuoka," Tetsu said, smiling as the elder lady on the TV showed us various plants.

"Never liked tea much," Yami responded, his mouth full of cheeseburger again. He went for another bite. "I don't get what all the fuss is about. Tastes like trash water with flowers in it."

My hand went over my mouth, trying to cover my amused smile as Tetsu's whole expression changed to an annoyed one. It was the difference between them in the moment. Tetsu, refined and elegant, talking about tea. And then there was Yami, unrefined as could be and talking with food in his mouth.

Tetsu's lips parted to say something back, but before he could, my hand slipped onto his thigh. There was no reason to fight. Hadn't we fought enough today? His eyebrows went up, a gentleness replacing his flare of anger.

"I like tea," I said, in open defiance of what Yami had aired out to the room. "I bet you know a lot about it. Teach me sometime?"

His whole body relaxed. "Of course I will. We can sample some, too." He went in to kiss my cheek.

"Gross," Yami said, shoving french fries in his mouth like he was the only one here.

"You're gross, Yami," I laughed.

To my delight, Tetsu was laughing, too, the tension over once and for all. It made my grin larger, so relieved.