Yuusuke still got sent out.
Even now, with Humare activity rising and Kouji pulled from field duty, Yuusuke's assignments hadn't slowed down. Patrols. Recon. Mid-tier suppression. One after another.
Kouji would hear his name mentioned during briefings in passing — the usual: "Yuusuke handled it." "Yuusuke reported it." "Yuusuke tagged the location."
The nights felt quieter without him.
No window creaks. No half-jokes tossed into the dark.
Just silence. And Kouji's own thoughts, folding in on themselves.
It was almost a week before the window finally cracked open again.
Kouji didn't even look up right away. He just said, "You're late."
A familiar voice dropped in with a tired grunt.
"I had to improvise."
Yuusuke sat on the desk, legs crossed, back resting against the wall like always. His hair was damp — probably rain. Or blood. Hard to tell sometimes.
"You've been busy," Kouji said.
"Yeah," Yuusuke replied. "You haven't."
The silence that followed was only half-awkward.
Then Yuusuke added, quieter, "It's weird not having you out there."
Kouji glanced up.
Yuusuke didn't meet his eyes. "Not that you're missing much. It's the same routine. Nothing exciting without you yelling about structural load points and weak metal types."
Kouji smirked. "I never yelled."
"You lectured, then."
They both laughed, and for a moment, it felt normal again.
Before he left that night, Yuusuke hesitated at the window.
"I'm not trying to avoid you," he said. "I just… don't know what to say."
Kouji shrugged. "You don't have to say anything."
"I probably do," Yuusuke said. "Eventually."
Then he disappeared into the dark.
The next morning, Kouji woke to sunlight cutting through the dorm blinds.
For once, no dream.
No Devil eyes. No twisted crowns.
Just the faint buzz of the building waking up and the memory of Yumi's voice from two days ago:
"Help me test out that new café…"
He changed into something casual — not his training wear, not the uniform. Just a black long-sleeve and a jacket Ryo had once tossed at him during an early session.
He didn't know why he'd kept it.
Yumi was waiting outside the Association's front gate — clipboard gone, gloves off, hair not so messy.
She wore a black fitted shirt tucked into a dark red skirt, short enough to feel rebellious but paired with tights and a black jacket. Subtle. Effortless.
But still... definitely not her usual work outfit.
"Wow," she said as he approached. "You clean up okay."
"You too."
She raised a brow, pleased. "Is that the closest I'll ever get to a compliment from you?"
Kouji blinked.
She laughed.
The café was tucked away between two closed bookstores — barely marked, just a silver sign above a black door.
Inside, it was warm. Dim lights. Red tones. Quiet music.
They sat in the back booth, away from the window. No one bothered them.
Yumi ordered something with way too much foam. Kouji just got tea.
They didn't talk about the Association.
They didn't talk about Blessings or Minuses or structural collapses.
They talked about music Yumi liked, about Kouji's favorite food, about terrible movies she used to watch while working night desk shifts.
And Kouji smiled.
More than once.
At one point, she leaned forward and stole a bite from his plate without asking.
He just watched her chew, unimpressed.
"You're insane."
She grinned with full confidence.
When they finally left, it was already late afternoon. The clouds were starting to roll in, but the air was still soft.
Kouji walked beside her in silence, hands in his pockets.
She glanced sideways and stepped closer.
His shoulders relaxed.
And Yumi didn't say anything else — just walked beside him, quietly smiling.