During Saturday, things started with going to the station.

  "Morning, Edith." Hiroshi announced, as the quad arrived at her offices.

  "Ah, what bring you here today?" Edith asked in curiousity, as she greeted them, before focusing on work on computer.

  "Mostly for Olivia. Her wings are healthy and she passed the literacy test." Hiroshi reminded, as she pulled up some documents on her monitor.

  "Oh yeah... I almost completely forgot about that, my apologies." Edith said with a smirk, as she rechecked the claims, and it was clear all was fine. "Yep, she is physically able. Solving the currently stated foster goals. That would mean time for proper evaluation."

  "P-proper?" Olivia asked with huge worry, fearing what is to come.

  "Since you were an special case, we didn't do the average evaluation for foster care. No need to worry, it will be a simple questionare with a professional psychologist. It should only take couple hours. We just need to schedule the time for the appointment." Edith made more clear, which only got Olivia more worried.

  Hiroshi gently put his hand on her head, as he took the lead on speaking, seeing her worry was causing trouble for her. "Just set it up whatever day next week, I am sure we can accommodate it."

  "Thanks, Hiro. And while you are here, did you guys hear on the vacation plan?"

  They shook their head, and Edith wasn't overly surprised. "Sophia had everything set up. on first day of July, that being saturday three weeks from now, we will be leaving late evening, as plane leaves at six, and flight would take nine and half hours to Kushiro, when it should be about ten in the morning there."

  Nata slightly short circuited from the explanation, as Hiroshi gave a light nod. "Makes sense. And where will we be staying at?"

  "Sophia said she got a place with a good friend of hers, if I remember right, her name was Fuku Miyajima." and upon uttering the name, Hiroshi could feel a light sweat coming on.

  "F-fuku Miyajima? As in... the Shrine Maiden Fuku?" Hiroshi tried to clarify, to which Edith gave a light smile and answered "Yes."

  Hiroshi tried to keep it calm, as he silently whispered to himself "oh, how misfortune has brought me around again."

  "hmm, what is it Hiroshi?" Edith asked in curiousity, clearly having taken note of his distress.

  "N-nothing, just... nothing." He muttered out, both in defeat but also knowing there wasn't much he could say, as Julia gave curious looks to Edith and Hiroshi, before returning to her own thinking.

  "That's good. Oh, and just to make sure. If you don't mind, but there will be some Summer-workers coming in on last couple weeks, so me and the others aren't much able to get in contact with, so better declare everything before then."

  "Sure, I will keep that in mind." Hiroshi made sure, as checking others didn't have anything else, they were off.

  On their way to check their travel gear, Hiroshi got everyone an travel case, and made sure the list was in constant observation and modified when something new just-in-case scenarios needed something.

  "I will get the essentials, like hygiene and essentials, everyone has enough clothes..." Hiroshi muttered as they were relaxing on the mall bench, checking the list, and as one thing came to his head, he went from a quick to panic to relieve. "And you already have your swimwear, so that should be packed as well."

  "I don't." Julia commented, to which Hiroshi froze for a moment.

  With a scuff, she got easily agitated by the reaction. "Don't look at me like that. I can get it myself."

  Hiroshi gave a breath of fresh air on not having to deal with her situation, but also as he was considering on the date they would be arriving.

  "Oh, I completely forgot, Tanabata would be soon after we arrive as well." which got Nata's and Olivia's curiosity. "What's that."

  "It is also known as Star festival. Of course, most provinces and shrines celebrate it on august, but my hometown's shrine celebrates it on seventh of july, and I wouldn't be surprised if Fuku would force us to celebrate it, as she hosts it."

  As he elaborated on it, it got both of them excited for the prospect, especially thanks to them recently finding out about anime and binging many shows.

  "Just... Don't get too excited, it is much more boring than you are imagining." Hiroshi noted with a light chuckle at their enthusiasm, as they continued shopping and Julia quickly getting her own swimwear.

  "To think, we can have our own kimonos." Olivia quietly contemplated, while Nata gave a lighthearted laugh. "And what kind of hairdress would fit for such event." which left Hiroshi contemplating on if they are over-reacting or he is under-reacting, seeing he hasn't celebrated it in over five years

  Upon arriving at home, and as dinner was served, Hiroshi felt it was sooner than later that he had to break the news.

  "So, talking about the vacation, I want to make sure everyone understands." Hiroshi said, which got attention of the trio.

  "Japan is still pretty... unaccepting of monsters, in a way. Most likely you will get odd looks, even name calling and some trouble all around."

  "I mean, I already knew about it." Julia noted as she returned to eating without care in the world.

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  "Oh... umm... I don't mind it that much." Olivia muttered, clearly not happy to hear about it, but not something that would affect her much in a long run.

  "I... don't know. Most of the time when I had trouble, either Vaska dealt with them or he did it to me." Nata replied, realizing she didn't know much on such stuff, which surprised Olivia and Hiroshi.

  "That's Vaska for you." Julia noted towards Hiroshi, before returning to not caring.

  "I... I promise to keep by your side then." Olivia declared. "I am not good with people... but I will try my best to mediate things."

  "Thanks." Nata happily noted, but her mind slowly turned into a question. "So, Hiro, You mentioned folktales and History. Is it related to something like... yokai?"

  Hiroshi shook his head at the question, before answering, "Not really. Yokai is just overall term for 'evil spirited' monsters, somewhat similar to how in west, people would have called them demons."

  Nata gave it a thought, before nodding in understanding, as Hiroshi continued, "However, I feel history has more influence, most notable being kitsune and tanuki. To make it short, the clans between them weren't in friendly relations, and due to tanuki's trickery, and kitsune's spirituality, they influenced humans to fight for their own cause, while still taking from humans for their services to the community before their disappearance."

  "Oh, I see..." Nata said, as she felt lightly bad to hear such bad history.

  "But thankfully seems their kinds haven't been causing that much trouble in recent times. No need to feel overly bad about it." Hiroshi clarified, just to make sure.

  With the troubling talk over, their focus returned to the meal, as prospect of travel changed in Nata's and Olivia's thoughts.

  While sunday was day of relaxing, things quickly returned to action in monday, as Hiroshi and Julia were out on the lawn, fighting once again.

  In a week's time, he has had some improvement, forcing Julia to block and parry way more, while she has started to show some offense in return, forcing Hiroshi to add defense into his fight.

  After about an hour, Hiroshi was left sweating in exhaustion, as she gave him a break to catch his breath, but during then, she decided to pick up an conversation.

  "So, let me guess, Fuku is Aki's mother." Julia asked which made Hiroshi get surprised, before remembering that she already knew of his secret.

  "Y-yeah. I have only met her couple times... and I don't think she exactly likes me, but she has always been hard to read. No idea how she will take my return." Hiroshi said, with clear fear in his voice.

  "Why would that be? Didn't you rescue her daughter?" Julia asked, clearly not pleased by the secrecy he is keeping.

  Hiroshi tried to think what to say, before deciding on "Yes and no... it's... it's very complicated, for both of us. Just... everything that happened then..." Hiroshi noted, as he was clearly treading waters he didn't want to enter.

  "I just cannot say, right now." Hiroshi finished, disappointment filling both of them up.

  Julia gave a deep sigh with a spiteful glare. "You and your traumas. Hope Fuku will be more talkative than you."

  Hiroshi couldn't help but linger in the disappointment, before their training continued.

  Thursday has arrived, Haruka woke up with messy hair and croaky mood as it was six in the morning, and message had pinged on her phone.

  "I swear if it's Hiro..." and as she took the phone off the nightstand, turning it on and nearly getting blinded by the light of the screen, she focused and checked the notification.

  "Hey, sorry to message so early for you, but informing that we will be arriving at second day of July and will be staying at Fuku's temple. (not my idea) but hope to see you before Tanabata."

  "...of course." Haruka groaned, as she shut the phone and gave a good moment to take in the morning prospect.

  Getting up, having a shower, brushing teeth, breakfast, some tea alongside it, and as she is getting in her business suit, ready for new day of boring work, she got surprised by knock on the door.

  "Who in hell?" She wondered, as while her suit was on loose, she checked the peephole on the front door, only to see the person on other side was clever enough to cover it.

  With a sigh, and having a weapon on the side ready, she firmly gripped the door, and slowly opened it. "It's seven in the morning, what business do you have?"

  While she was speaking in japanese, she got surprised as a firm english was spoken back, and she could note a british accent. "Doing business between associates we both know."

  Keeping firm grip on her weapon behind the door, she opened it full, and she could see frank was behind it. She hasn't seen him before, but the outfitting and style was too familiar to her, and not something people normally wore.

  "What is a brit dealing with Yakuza's ordeals?" she said with confidence.

  "Oh, let's not get things mixed. I am not with them, but I am in associations with. I don't plan to do anything to harm you, or anyone near you, but my dealings are associated with that 'near one'." Frank explained, and as Haruka was losing her patient, right as she went to close the door, Frank put the leg in the way.

  "I have nothing to do with Hiroshi, not leave me be." She said in anger as she was about to hit his leg.

  "Now I can't do that, and while I may not plan it, I will if I don't get my way." Frank said firmly, which caused Haruka to pause.

  She contemplated for a moment if she should let him continue, but knowing the trouble she has had already to deal with thanks to Hiroshi, having someone willing to speak before striking eased her mind.

  With heavy annoyance, she went with it. "Fine, but make it fast. I don't want to be late to work." she said, letting go of the door to focus on putting on the shirt, but keeping her hands on the bat that she was keeping as a weapon just in case.

  Frank calmly opened the door, and entered. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. You got some paid leave for good while."

  Haruka was surprised by the news, but kept her firm stance. "At least you know how to treat your victims."

  "Right, but let's get down to business." He said, as he dug into his pocket, before taking out couple sets of cameras, and a tablet. "Our only request is to put these cameras around your apartment, and if possible, Miyajima estate's more private rooms."

  She took a look at couple of the cameras, as she got weirded out by the request. "And why are you doing this, exactly?"

  Frank calmly turned on the tablet, as he scrolled around to find some articles, before finally handing her the tablet, showing the story written about the train situation.

  Haruka was left speechless as she continued read the story, but Frank decided to let it all out.

  "There is a lot more information not given on that article, but to be simple, Hiroshi is part of a much larger game than he expected or wanted to join. We heard about... some of the tragedies that happened before this, and to put it simply, we are keeping an eye out on him, including couple 'guests' he will be having alongside him."

  Haruka shortly put the tablet down, as she was left in disbelieve on what had happened in the time they haven't seen. "And what about Saito?"

  "He does as he pleases." Frank explained.

  "...and what am I meant to get from this? Betraying my brother for whoever you are and work for." Haruka said, clearly not happy that she is even considering it, but seeing how Hiroshi got himself into this situation, might as well let him reap what he sowed.

  "We will negotiate after the ordeal, but I assure you, my boss will be willing to pay plenty." Frank finished, as seeing he had given everything, he took the tablet and headed out, leaving Haruka to figure out everything for herself, with the micro-cameras left on the desk for her to do with as she pleased.

  Taking a seat, and thinking about the article she read, it couldn't help but remind her of the past.

  She was left, resting her head against her arm, laying on the table.

  And weep, for what is to come.