(August 05, 1997)

Manjiro locked himself in his room after what happened.

Mansaku was worried about him. Even Shinichiro couldn't get him to open the door just to get his tray of food. Baji even tried luring him out with his favorite taiyaki but even that didn't work.

The old man ended up sitting down outside where the incident happened. He didn't know what happened exactly, but judging from his grandsons' faces that he knew that it was bad. Mansaku felt like he couldn't do anything for his grandsons and granddaughter after Hanzou and Sakurako died. It broke his heart seeing them like this.

It was another night of Manjiro not coming down for dinner. He did manage to go out and talk a little during lunch and visited Haruchiyo at the gym, but after that he just locks himself. Shinichiro tried to give his dinner for the night but to no avail. But he didn't want Manjiro to go to bed hungry so he left the tray of food on one of the tables in the living room. Mansaku, however, didn't want this to happen everyday. With a deep breath, he carries the tray of food and knocks on Manjiro's bedroom door. "Manjiro, it's me." He knocks again. "Come out and eat, please. You can't go to bed hungry like this."

"Go away." Was Manjiro's muffled response. He sounded like he had been crying.

Mansaku was about to knock for the third time but he stops himself. It was worrying and heartbreaking. "Manjiro," Mansaku starts. "We're right here for you. Shinichiro, Emma, Keisuke, me... we're all here." He says softly.

There was silence.

Then, Mansaku heard sniffling from the other side of the door.

It wasn't shocking news for them, but it was news that they didn't want to accept. Shinichiro and Emma were crying in the room, not wanting to leave.

Mansaku left the room since Manjiro had left as soon as the doctor announced the untimely death. Knowing his grandson, Manjiro probably went downstairs.

And his hunch was right. As Mansaku was going down the staircase he hears sniffling. "Don't come out... d-don't come out..."

Mansaku didn't need to know who it was.

"Don't come out... d-don't..."

The same muffled crying was heard from the other side of the door. 

Mansaku knocks on the door, softly this time. "I'm here, open the door."

The door was flung open and Mansaku felt small arms around his waist, his shirt being stained with tears. 

(August 17, 1997)

Shinichiro decided on visiting his parents' grave. 

He never made the time to visit in the previous timeline. He'll make a change starting with this one. 

It'll be one of the good changes he'll make.

Shinichiro expected the grave to be dirty and the incense already faded out, and it was. He cleaned up some of the dirt and leaves that piled up and threw the faded incense away. The wilted flowers were placed in a separate bag so he wouldn't accidentally burn the dry leaves. Once he managed to make the grave a bit presentable, Shinichiro lights up the brand new incense with a match and placed the flowers on top of the grave. 

"Hey mom, dad." Shinichiro sits down in front of the grave, smiling a little. "So, I'm alive now. And..." His voice got caught in his throat, his hands starting to turn into fists.

'Forget about it. You saved him now. Everyone's fine... at least, everyone's mostly fine.'

"Everything's okay!" There was the so-called "Sano Smile" that he always let out, regardless of what he was feeling. "You don't have to worry, alright? I'm here protecting gramps, Manjiro, and Emma! I know what I'm doing!"

Only the wind heard his voice. His voice that masked the truth.

The truth that he killed someone and himself just to get back here.

"You don't look like you know what you're doing." A feminine voice suddenly comes to view, as well as grey-colored smoke. Shinichiro looks behind him to see a woman, holding a kiseru in hand. She was only staring at the grave with a poker face before turning to Shinichiro. "Unless you're that confident."

Shinichiro widens his eyes. "You're... you're the Witch I saw..."

The woman smirks. "It's Yuuko, but being called a witch is fine."

The scenery around him starts to change and before he knew it, he and Yuuko were in front of a building. "Welcome to my humble abode, Sano Shinichiro."

The building... well, Shinichiro couldn't really describe it. It looked modern, yet traditional at the same time. It definitely contrasted with the rest of the buildings around it. What shocked him though, was that Shinichiro had passed by this very block and only saw nothing but an abandoned apartment complex. He didn't expect in seeing a house like this.

Shinichiro stood up as Yuuko was walking inside. He followed suit, and he felt goosebumps all over. He felt like he had entered into another world. "Maru, Moro~!" Yuuko calls out, and two young girls open the door. Shinichiro noticed that they had opposing color palettes. "Maru, can you lead Shin-chan into the patio? Moro, you come with me."

Maru, who was the one who had pink hair, only had a smile on her face. "A customer for the Mistress! Come, come!" 

Shinichiro was hesitant, but he just nods as Maru leads him inside. The interior was a definite contrast to the outside, and that was already saying something. "The customer is familiar to the Mistress, yes?" Maru asks happily, which Shinichiro was slightly disturbed by. "Err... yeah, we met once..." He answered nervously.

"Then that means you also know the Masters, too!" Maru exclaimed.

Masters? Was Yuuko married? To two people?

Maru led him to the patio. There was a cherry blossom tree that was full in bloom, and the petals were falling down as if it was rain. There was also a familiar man in a large chair, his dark-colored attire making him stand out from the environment. Sitting next to him was someone who had a crescent moon for a head but his body was human.

That's when Shinichiro's blood ran cold. 

"So you do know the Masters!" Maru exclaims with a giggle. 

"I wouldn't say that." The man with the crescent head moon says with a snicker. "But I happen to have something of his~" He snaps his fingers and a familiar lighter appears in his hands. "Ah, it's less powerful now, but it has a purpose~!"

"Reaper, Memory, don't try and scare the poor man." Yuuko arrives with Moro, holding a heart-shaped pendant. "Now, let's talk, shall we?"

'I'm fucked.'