"Megane-kun!"

Osamu was lost in thought as a familiar axe-wielding Tamakoma-1 agent bristled at his lack of a response.

"Don't you ignore me!" Konami shouted, her voice gaining volume. "Now come get some food so you don't starve!"

Megane-kun's stomach rumbled at the prospect of food. "H-huh? Oh, sorry Konami-sempai…just—"

"—lost in thought, what's new there?" she huffed, pointing a soup spoon in his direction. "Just stop thinking so much and relax! You can't function properly if you don't take care of yourself! Besides, you look like death—you haven't been getting any sleep, have you? I—YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN AREN'T YOU!?"

This time, Osamu jumped and actually fell out of his chair at Konami's voice. "A-ah, sorry Konami-sempai!" he stammered, standing and attempting to get his bearings. "I-I'm coming!"

As he scrambled to his seat at the table, Reji and Chika returned from training. "Hi Osamu-kun!" the latter greeted, taking her spot next to him.

It took Megane-kun a moment to register her greeting. "O-oh hi Chika…" he murmured, staring into nothing.

"MEGANE-KUN—!" Konami started, only to be interrupted by Chika.

"I-it's probably just been a long day for him," she tried, "right?"

"R-right," Osamu replied quietly, "sorry…"

Reji raised an eyebrow while Konami sighed. "Whatever," she said flippantly, handing everyone a bowl of food. "Now eat, so you can actually function properly."

"Thank you," he said politely, taking his bowl and—after giving thanks—began to eat, all the while trying to ignore Chika's concerned glances.

"O…Osamu-kun…?"

The glasses-clad brunette jumped at the sound of Chika's voice. He hadn't even heard the door open.

"Oh…hi Chika…" he murmured, averting his gaze.

There was an awkwardly long pause as Chika shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find what to say.

"Hey, Osamu-kun…" she trailed off when she saw the expression on his face.

It was clear he hadn't slept well in days—his hair was slightly disheveled, glaringly dark circles hung under his eyes, and a frown was etched on his face. His eyes lacked the usual life and determination that they normally held, replaced with something dark that Chika couldn't quite name.

"…Osamu, are you okay?" Chika blurted, looking up at him worriedly. "Y…you've been a lot more exhausted lately, and you've been spacing out more than usual—it's been worrying everyone…you're not pushing yourself too much, are—"

"Chika."

His voice was flat, defeated. "O…Osamu-kun…?" she replied hesitantly.

There was another long pause, and right as Chika opened her mouth to break it Osamu spoke.

"You…you remember when we went out and had a bonfire, right?" he asked, voice still devoid of emotion. "When Xeno said he'd sacrifice someone else's life for Lilith's sake in a heartbeat?"

Fearing where this was going, Chika nodded mutely.

"Well…I can't help but think he's right," he said, "at least partially…sometimes you just can't save everyone."

"W-what are you talking about?!" the black-haired girl demanded, eyes widening in fear. "Y-you said it yourself—you'd find a way to save bo—"

"What if I can't Chika!?" Osamu snapped, slamming his fists on his desk and making the poor girl flinch. "What if trying to save everyone just gets everyone killed!?"

Chika felt her eyes water, but she took a stubborn breath and held them back. "Y-you wouldn't know unless you try!" she insisted, her hands balling into fists. "Isn't that what you said?"

After a suffocating moment of tension, Osamu heaved a sigh and put his face in his hands.

"Chika…" he murmured, "I'm sorry…I-it's just…."

The dark haired girl took another breath. "Osamu…" she said softly, forcing her hands to uncurl and relax. "What's wrong? Where is this all coming from? It's…it's starting to scare me."

Osamu thought for a moment as he stared forlornly at his desk. "I…I just keep having these nightmares…" he whispered, "We're out fighting, and suddenly…something always happens—it's always different, each and every night—and you and Kuga…you're both falling down into this…this dark abyss. You're both out of Trion and can't bail out, and I…I…"

His hands balled into fists, and Chika took a cautious step forward. "It's okay Osamu…" she said soothingly, "You can tell me."

Another tense moment passed, and Osamu let out a small sob. "…at first, I'd try to grab you both and pull you up, but…but I would just be pulled down with the two of you. I…I kept trying and trying until…until…"

He took a shaky breath, and Chika stepped forward and placed what she hoped to be a comforting hand on his shoulder. "O-Osamu…kun…"

"One night, I…I got upset, frustrated, whatever…" he whimpered, "…and when I had grabbed both of you, I started slipping again, and I panicked…and…and…"

Chika lightly squeezed Osamu's shoulder, and he took another shaky breath. "I…I let go."

"You…let go?" the dark-haired girl questioned, forcing her voice to stay level.

Osamu took off his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I let go of Yuma…" he whispered finally, "he fell to his death…but I was able to save you."

The girl withdrew her hand and stepped back in shock. "W…what…?"

"I-I kept trying to save you both," he continued, staring down at his glasses in his hands. "But every single time I'd…I'd let go of him. I kept telling myself 'I need to save them both, I need them both'…but I kept letting go, no matter how hard I kept telling myself not to…"

"O…Osamu…" she whispered, a hand clutching her chest in an attempt to calm her frantic, frenzied heartbeat. "T-that's…"

"Awful, I know," he finished, "And…last night…I…I tried so hard…but I…"

Suddenly there was a crack as Osamu snapped his glasses in half.

"O-Osamu…!" Chika trailed off, backing away slowly. "Y-your—!"

"I killed you."

Suddenly it got very difficult to breathe.

"Y…y-you…you what…?" she whispered, eyes widening in fear.

"I…I dropped you," he murmured, a shadow hanging over his face as he glared blindly at his now broken glasses. "I…I watched you fall to your death as I saved Yuma…I kept telling myself it was okay, I did the best I could…b-but I just…I couldn't handle it and I…I jumped in after you."

Chika tried to take a calming breath, but the tears fell anyway. "O-Osamu…It's okay…" she stammered, reaching out and putting a tentative hand on his shoulder. "I'm here now…"

"But what if we're in a situation like that in the real world?" Osamu demanded, "What if…what if I had to choose between the two of you?!"

The dark haired girl took another deep breath. "You choose Yuma-kun," she stated matter-of-factly, "He'd be the better choice—he's the more skilled of the two of us."

"But I can't!" Osamu snapped, tossing his glasses onto the desk and turning on her. "Don't you get it Chika!? I made a promise to your brother to keep you safe—no matterwhat! I care about you and I-I just can't let you get yourself killed, no matter how little you value your own life! I…I just…"

Suddenly the door opened, making Chika flinch and Osamu stiffen.

"Is…is everything okay?" Shiori asked, peeking into the room along with a certain white-haired neighbor. "I-I thought I heard shouting…"

Chika opened her mouth to reply, but Osamu cut her off.

"Just a little misunderstanding…and stress," he murmured, rubbing a hand over his face. "I broke my glasses and can't find my spare pair."

"You mean those?" Yuma asked, pointing to the case lying on the end table by Osamu's bed.

However, Chika didn't miss the way Yuma's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Obviously Osamu did. "I-I'm sorry, but I have no idea where you're pointing at," he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "Can you get them for me Chika…?"

Chika froze in fear for a split-second, but promptly shook it off. "R-right," she murmured, walking over to the end table and opening the case.

"Um…it's empty…" she replied hesitantly.

"Crap…they must be somewhere," Megane-kun muttered, feeling around the top drawer of his desk. "S-sorry for inconveniencing you guys…"

"I-It's okay," Chika said, "I'll help you find them."

"Same here," Yuma said, entering the room to aid in the search.

"Ah, I know how much of a pain that could be," Shiori nodded in sympathy, "I'd help look, but it looks like that you got it covered, hmm?"

"T-thanks, Shiori-sempai," Osamu said as he patted his way through another drawer.

"Good luck," she called as she walked away, closing the door behind her.

A few moments of searching later, Yuma finally found the spare. "Found your eyeballs, Osamu-kun!"

"Ah, thanks, Yuma-kun!" Osamu said gratefully, reaching for the familiar blur in the neighbor's hand.

…only for Yuma to raise them in the air.

"…Yuma, I'm taller than you," Megane-kun deadpanned, standing up and plucking the glasses out of Yuma's hand.

"Well that didn't work as planned," the neighbor replied, laughing good naturedly.

"Thanks anyway," Osamu murmured as he put them on.

"But Osamu…" Yuma started, "…why did you lie to Shiori?"

Chika glanced at the brunette, whose expression was unreadable. "I really did need help looking for my spare glasses, didn't I?"

"But there was a lot more than a little misunderstanding and stress—your other glasses are snapped in half. I don't need my Side Effect to know that you're hiding something."

After a long, tense moment Chika couldn't take it anymore.

"Osamu's been having nightmares," she blurted, then covered her mouth at Osamu's glare.

"Nightmares?" Yuma asked, cocking his head to the side. "What kind of nightmares?"

"It's nothing, really," Megane-kun insisted, "just not getting good sleep, that's all."

Yuma's eyes narrowed. "Osamu," he murmured, "you make up the stupidest lies."

Now you've done it, Osamu's eyes accused as he glanced at Chika and cleared his throat. "It's nothing for you to worry about," he said, "I'll…I'll get over it, really. I…just need some time."

The neighbor stared at him, eyes still full of suspicion. "It's not a lie," he said, "but only because you believe it to be true—that doesn't make it absolute."

"Y-Yuma-kun," Chika said, "L-let's just let Osamu take a nap—since it's light out maybe he won't have any nightmares…?"

She turned to Megane-kun for approval, and he nodded, his face still unreadable. "…yeah," he said quietly. "I'll…just take a nap."

"Alright, let's go Yuma!" Chika said with a little forced enthusiasm, grabbing Yuma's arm and dragging him out of the room.

"So, what's going on with Osamu-kun?"

Chika flinched at the sudden (but inevitable) question. After dragging Yuma out of Osamu's room, she had taken them both up to the roof of Tamakoma to talk.

"H…he said he's been having nightmares about fighting neighbors," she replied, attempting to be vague. "And he feels he…he's not a good leader."

"Why is that?"

The dark haired girl flinched again. "I…he thinks he has trouble making split-second decisions."

"Like what?"

There was a pause as Chika hesitated. She couldn't lie, even without Yuma's Side Effect—but on the other hand, she wasn't sure if leaving Osamu alone will make things better or worse.

"…you want to help him, don't you?" Yuma asked, "We can't help him if one of us doesn't know what's going on, right?"

"…I do," Chika decided, "I…I just don't know if it's for me to say…"

Yuma sighed as he turned to Chika. "You know how Osamu is," he stated, "He's never going to tell me—he'll think he's burdening us or something."

"Right…" she agreed, then took a deep breath. "Osamu…said he has nightmares about the two of us dying."

"But that's inevitable," Yuma pointed out, "there has to be more than that."

Chika sighed as she stared out over the horizon. "…He said it ends the same way every night," she said, "we're both out of trion and he tries to pull us both up, but fails…but lately…"

Yuma stared at her expectantly, and the dark haired girl swallowed thickly.

"…he said he let go of you one night…and saved me. It kept going on for a time, and it was starting to get to him."

"Why?" Yuma asked, "He made the right choice, didn't he?"

Chika's eyes widened in confusion, not sure she heard him correctly. "W-what?" she asked, "Y-you—"

"But that's not all," Yuma interrupted, "there's still a bit you're not telling me, isn't there?"

"I…" Chika was sure Osamu wanted to keep the last part private. "I don't think…"

"Chika, we need to help Osamu, don't we?"

Many emotions were swirling inside her at once, and it was making Chika feel dizzy. She wanted to help Osamu, she really did—but he made it clear that he wanted to deal with it on his own…

…but she wasn't sure if he could.

"Promise you won't tell anyone else?" Chika asked.

"Of course," Yuma promised, "I wouldn't have told anyone anyway."

Now feeling more confident, Chika sighed. "He said last night…he dropped me and saved you."

"Oh…?"

Chika nodded, "He…he said that he kept telling himself he did the right thing, but…"

"He lost it and jumped after you, didn't he?"

"H-how did you know that!?" Chika demanded, "Y-you…"

"I know Osamu well," Yuma shrugged, "it sounds like something he would do—he cares about you a lot."

"T-that can't be true…" Chika stammered, her cheeks growing red.

Yuma chuckled softly. "Chika," he said, "you make up the stupidest lies…"

Now thoroughly embarrassed, the dark haired girl put her face in her hands. "I…I mean it…" she murmured.

I made a promise to keep you safe, no matter what!

"I…" she murmured, "I'm not worth it…"

The neighbor stared at her for a moment and then sighed. "…you really believe that?" he asked, shaking his head. "Osamu's been having nightmares about losing you. Obviously you're worth it in his mind, at least."

"B-but—"

"You'd be doing more harm than good," Yuma continued, "by saying something so stupid. Osamu cares about you, and I like you too. There's no escaping our affection—especially Megane-kun's."

I killed you.

"…I'm not worth…another person's life…" Chika whispered, putting her face in her hands.

Yuma's face softened. "Chika," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Believe it or not, you are—"

"No!" Chika insisted, turning on him. "I-I got my brother captured, I almost got Osamu killed because I keep attracting Neighbors and now he's losing sleep because he keeps worrying about me! I'm nothing but a burden to him! That's why Osamu should just leave me to die when the time comes! You—"

"I have a clock ticking a lot faster than yours," Yuma said matter-of-factly, "Even with your attracting Neighbors, you still have a chance to live another day afterwards. Hypothetically, if I were to be the one who was saved, I'd just end up leaving him in the near future because I have a limited time—but if it's you then you're more likely to help Osamu a lot later in life."

Despite how hard she tried, she couldn't find fault in the Neighbor's logic.

"…it must be hard for him," Chika murmured, "I mean…either one of us can die any day, and Osamu feels like he has to protect us…"

"It's stressful I'll bet," Yuma agreed with a smile, "but Osamu is a sucker for those in need. You know that."

Chika nodded, shivering as a breeze whispered past. "Yeah…he really is."