"Over here! Over here!" Yuno called from the field.

The students of Jenock, and some from Harness, were heading for Seagull Park. Once they found the perfect spot, they split up and divided the jobs. Some prepared the blankets to sit on, others prepared the food and games.

Everything was wonderful. They were all having fun just being silly and having battles here and there. Even Wataru, with a little push from some others, challenged Muraku to a battle, in which the latter was happy to accept. But it was around the afternoon that it happened.

"Where did Hannah and Nikolai go?" Haruki pipped up.

Sakuya scanned over the area. "Now that you mention it... I haven't seen them since lunch."

"I heard them arguing earlier." Bunta said worriedly.

"I did too." Hikaru nodded. "He was asking about some kind of medication and, when she said she forgot to bring it, he immediately got angry."

"Is she sick or something?" Kageto turned to Wataru.

The younger boy shook his head. "I don't know anything about this. as far as I know, nee-chan's as healthy as ever."

"Nikolai didn't look sick either." Mikhail stated.

"We can ask them now. They're back." Muraku pointed at the two headed towards them.

Neither of them seemed to notice the questioning gazes of their friends. They were far too busy chatting between themselves.

"You cannot forget it next time." The Russian boy said, a stern look present on his face.

"I know, I know..." The brunette sighed. "It won't happen again."

"That's what you said the last four times." He muttered. Looking ahead, he spotted most of their friends staring at them. "Hey, you sure you don't want to tell them?"

"I'm sure." She nodded. "It'll be a pain if I have more than one dad on my back."

"I'm not your dad." His voice was steady, but their hidden meaning reached her.

"I know." She smiled. "You're a million times better."

~~~~~

"A cold, huh?" Vanessa eyed her suspiciously. "I didn't hear a single sneeze last night."

"Allergies would be a more accurate way of putting it." Hannah corrected. "They aren't serious. Just a few coughs here and there."

"If it's just that, does Nikolai have to be that angry?" Rinko asked.

The Russian boy shrugged. "Something small like that can lead to other big stuff. And it'll be a pain if that stuff gets worse while we're having fun, right?"

"Huh, I didn't know Nikolai's a worrywart." Kageto smirked.

He returned it. "You should worry about your chicken nugget if you don't eat it soon." Kageto immediately pulled his plate closer to himself as the rest laughed.

Hannah turned to look at the open field. Her eyes landed to a nearby flower patch and she got up. She took an empty picnic basket and picked all kinds of different flowers, until it filled up the basket halfway. She sat back down beside Wataru as the younger brother talked excitedly to his idol.

"And! And! And! And my Odin got through their defenses and I defeated all of them at once! All thanks to your Belial Edge!"

"I'm glad you're putting it to great use." Muraku smiled. "In War Time, I can also see how much stronger you've gotten. That was something you accomplished on your own. I'm proud of you."

"T-T-T-That's nothing really!" The younger boy said, completely flustered. "Again, it's thanks to your Belial Edge that I could do so well! And nee-chan's customization abilities too! She modified Odin EX so that it can use Belial Edge easily!"

"Don't look down on yourself like that." A flower crown was placed on his head. Turning to his sister, he blinked as she patted his head. "How well an LBX can wield their weapon depends on the player. I only upgraded a few specs."

"And you learned to use it on your own." Muraku nodded. "I had only given you that sword once before, and that was while we were all in a state of panic. I can understand why you'd doubt yourself after that, but now you should have more confidence in your own abilities."

"W-W-Well... I-I..." Taking a deep breath, he nodded happily. "Right! Thank you, nee-chan! Senpai!"

Hannah ruffled his hair. "There's really nothing to thank us for."

"T-Then... Thank you for the flower crown, nee-chan!" He smiled sheepishly. "I like it a lot!"

"You don't have to make such a big deal of a small headpiece either..." The elder sister sweatdropped.

"But it is pretty." Muraku spoke up.

That surprised her. "Uh... Thanks? But it's really nothing..."

"Now who's looking down on herself?" He chuckled.

She sighed. "Guess it runs in the family."

The rest of the afternoon was filled with games and laughter. By the time the sun sets, everyone had packed up and most are heading back to Duck Manor. All but their Russian friend.

~~~~~

"So... Why did you call me out here, instructor?" Nikolai asked the brown haired man as he arrived by the docks.

"Do you really dislike your cousin that much?" Saruta blinked at the shorter boy.

"No, not really. But that doesn't mean I want to get my life sucked out by her hugs." He replied, clearly annoyed.

"She's a respected teacher though." The school's principle, Josephine, appeared from behind them. "It's good to have her back."

"To you, maybe." The younger boy clicked his tongue. "And to think, the past few weeks were the most peaceful ones I had since the last time she left to mainland."

The wind became unstable when a helicopter began to descend. When the blades stopped spinning, two people hopped out.

Josephine welcomed them with a smile. "Miss Levanov and Mister Kaidou! Welcome back to Kamui Island!"

Jin only nodded, but for a second, Nikolai felt something off. He wasn't sure, but he became certain of it when Niara approached him. Under normal circumstances, she'd run over and tackle him. This time was different. She was walking slowly and her head hung low. When she finally made it in front of him, she wrapped him in a hug and snuggled him. It was so calming that he actually hugged her back.

"N-Niara...?"

She shook her head. "I'm just... I'm so glad your safe..."

What...?

~~~~~~~~~~

Picnic: Outdoor social gathering