When Ryu came home far too early from his date with Ai-chan Noriko got worried . She thought of cornering him, but there was something in his face that made her stop . Instead she sent a message to Ai-chan and asked if the girls could meet up . After that she sent one to Kyoko as well .

'Only three of us, or maybe that is three of us again . ' Messaging Kuri was pointless . She worked and worked and worked .

After some delay they decided to meet at the Haven . Ai-chan could make it in almost no time at all, which just served to worry Noriko even more .

'What happened today?'

She got into her coat, pulled on her best boots and left the house silently so as not to call Ryu's attention to her .

On her hands she wore thin leather gloves, a White Day gift from Nao that taught her a lot about his absolute eye for what suited her . They hugged her fingers, but she'd have been a lot happier if it was Nao doing the hugging . He spent the break working almost as hard as Kuri .

The road to the station took its usual ten minutes, and just three stops later she left . In theory she could have walked to the café; it was just a little too long for comfort . Well, unless you were Urufu, but that maniac walked or cycled just about everywhere .

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Thinking of Urufu soured her mood a little . He still hadn't been found .

From station to haven a mere five minutes, and when she got inside James pointed her to the table where Ai-chan sat waiting . Kyoko still hadn't made it there .

Noriko ordered some black tea and a sliver of a cake and walked to the table . When she was almost there Ai-chan turned to greet her .

'G.o.ds! What happened today?'

With eyes ringed red in a way no make-up could hide Ai-chan gave her a weak smile . "Hi Wakayamsan . "

'Always forget you're not part of the club . Not even our school . Still call my brother Ryu-kun?' "h.e.l.lo, thanks for coming on such short notice . " Noriko took a chair and sat down .

Ai-chan sniffled and smiled again . "Don't thank me . I could need someone to talk with right now, and you've always been a good friend . "

"What happened?" No point in avoiding the topic now . Ai-chan had as much as invited her .

"I broke up with Ryu-kun . "

'Oh dear!' "Did he cheat on you?" Despite being the first words to come to her mouth Noriko didn't believe them even as she spoke .

"No!" For the first time Ai-chan displayed anger rather than heart break . "You have a wonderful brother . He'd never cheat on me!"

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'OK, so then why?'

"I love him, and I can feel he loves me back . He's honest and good and kind . "

'Don't tell me this is a repeat of Kuri and Urufu!' "Why, then why did you break up?" Noriko sipped some tea while she waited for Ai-chan's answer . She must have known the question would come, but maybe an answer didn't come easy anyway .

Biting her lower lip, Ai-chan looked like she had problems deciding whether to tell or not . "Dad," she said eventually . "It's dad . "

'But for the love of all G.o.ds! What's with adults and breaking couples up?' So it was a repeat after all . "Who broke up?"

Noriko immediately regretted that question . No sobbing, but Ai-chan's face tore open in a silent display of desperate hurt . One tear ran all the way down to her chin and dropped into her tea cup .

"I did . I called him out and broke up with him . " She wiped her face with the back of her hand . "But I still love him! Am I a bad girl?"

No, she really wasn't . Too abrasive by far for Noriko's tastes, but despite that still a sweet girl . "I think Ryu likes you still," Noriko said . There had been that look in his face when he came back home . No, he really still did have feelings for her .

Over the door the bell chimed, and Kyoko came inside . Noriko saw her turning her head, searching for them both until James gave her a helping hand .

She ordered something and walked between tables and chairs to join them . When she came closer she made a big 'O' with her mouth . Noriko guessed she had discovered Ai-chan's swollen face .

"Is it Ryu? I'll kick him between his legs if he hurt you!"

And Ai-chan broke down again . This time her sobs carried all over the café .

"I don't think my idiot bro is at fault this time," Noriko said silently . So much easier if it had been his wrongdoing . "I think," she continued and took a bite of her cake . She barely noticed the taste . "I think this is more of the fallout from what we did earlier . "

Kyoko nodded and sat down . As a supporting person she was much more sensible than Noriko, the latter noted when Kyoko buried Ai-chan's face in a bear hug . "So, so . Just cry . "

A bit ashamed she had lost out in humanity, Noriko took one of Ai-chan's hands in her own . She patted it, unsure what people usually did in situations like these . When Kuri crashed in their old clubroom she had given her a blanket, but she spent that afternoon listening to Kuri crying her heart out from a safe distance . 'Maybe it's not just a western thing to touch your friends when they're hurting . '

Maybe she suffered from some emotional flaw . Noriko couldn't remember breaking down . Not really . She had hurt when Urufu rejected her and chose Kuri instead, but breaking down? 'No . I always thought only weak people did . ' But Urufu was one of the strongest she knew, and Yukio had told her his friend crashed into a sobbing wreck late Valentine's night .

'Maybe I'm the one who needs changing . ' Noriko patted Ai-chan's hand . Clumsily, but she kept on patting it hoping it offered at least a glimmer of comfort .