DGA Season 1 Aftermath: Ken

A new DGA aftermath chapter, this one staring Ken. Enjoy!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don't understand! Where are they taking dad?”

“Ken... you father is going to be going away for a long time...”

“What? Why? Why does he have to go away?”

“Well Ken, your father... he did a very bad thing. And this is his punishment.”

“But he can't go away! He's my dad! This isn't fair!”

“No Ken, it is fair. Your father did something horrible, and now he has to be brought to justice.”

“Justice?”

“Yes... justice for the people he's hurt. You see Ken, when something bad happens to someone innocent, they deserve justice. It's... remember when that boy stole your action figure at school? What happened next?”

“The teacher made him give it back, and then they gave him detention...”

“Exactly. Would it have been right if he just stole your toy and got to keep it?”

“Well... no...”

“Do you understand, Ken? That's justice. People who do wrong can't get away with it... even if it's someone you like. I know you love your father Ken, but you have to understand that he can't avoid his punishment. Justice is what matters most.”

“I... I... guess I understand...”

That proved to be one of the most important days of Ken's live. Seven years old, in a crowded courtroom, watching a big man in a black gown bang a hammer on a table, as he saw his father being led away in chains. It was the day Ken learned of Justice. He had heard the word thrown about so many times in his superhero shows, how the hero always stood for justice, but he never understood the meaning of it until then. That was the day he realised what was right and what wasn't. That say shaped Ken for years to come.

And now here he is, moments after the Endless Night came to a close, and all he can focus on is a distinct lack of Justice. Sure, they beat the bad guy, the world was restored... but then Ryoji and Alice didn't get to come home with them. They're still in there, inside the Darkworld, when they should have returned here to be lauded as the heroes they were. Nothing seems right.

Ken tried to put a brave face on in the immediate aftermath. Saki was rocked to her core, so someone had to step up to the plate and act as the voice of reason in a tense time. He feels he managed to keep everyone in control, or at least stop anyone from trying to kill another. He even made sure that Saki was okay, and that she be taken in and taken to her room instead of staying out frozen in the spot she lost Ryoji... that they all lost Ryoji.

By the time everything had calmed down and he had managed to maintain order, Ken returned to his room, sat on the edge of Ryoji's bunk, and tried his hardest not to collapse into tears. It wasn't fair... none of it was fair. Why did they have to be trapped like that? They did everything right, why did Alice go missing? Why couldn't Ryoji leave? Why did Ken have to lose his best friend.

“Knock, knock.”

A familiar voice come from the other side of the door, causing Ken to recompose himself in a hurry. Before he can even tell her that she should just knock instead of saying “Knock Knock”, Nanami creaks open the room door and takes a step inside.

“Oh, you aren't changing...” Nanami sighs. “That's good. I was worried I might have walked in on something inappropriate.”

Ken stares at her. He really doubts she was worried about that. “So, do you need anything?” Ken asks, wondering what Nanami could want this late.

“Well...” Nanami mutters. “I just thought that after everything that just happened, I should check to see if you're okay.”

“What?”

Nanami gives a weak smile. “You handled everything pretty well out there, you kept people calm, but now that it's all quiet, I thought you might want to talk about it. You know, vent a little.”

There is nothing Ken could want more than that right now. Above all else, he wants to be able to talk about all that's happened, vent about how unfair all of this is, to be able to cry on a friend's shoulder... but he can't. With Saki taking things the way she did, someone in the class has to look strong. Someone has to stay composed and look like they have everything together. And Ken knows that person has to be him. That he has to step up to the plate and act as an inspiring leader. That's what the class needs right now, and for him to break down in front of Nanami right now would deny them that.

“Thanks for the offer Nanami,” Ken sighs. “I mean that. But... I'll be fine.”

“Oh...” Nanami mumbles, staring at Ken with concern. “Okay... if you say so. Just... know I'm here if you need me...”

Ken gives Nanami a smile as she begins to leave the room. “Yeah... thanks, Nanami.”

As the door shuts, Ken collapses back onto Ryoji's bunk and lets out a long sigh. He wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, or the next night, or the next.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was only a couple night later that the Darkworld came out again. It seems the academy has returned to it's normal state... if you can call it normal. This time the Darkworld was vanquished much quicker than the Endless Night, but not without it's difficulties. As soon as they had arrived in the Darkworld, Saki placed Ken in charge and proceeded to run off on her own. Between the shock of suddenly being handed the reigns out of nowhere and having to deal with the more difficult classmates like Seishiro and Raiden, the whole experience turned Ken into a ball of nerves. His strategy involved keeping everyone all tight and bundled together, everyone watching the others back as they wandered slowly and cautiously through the Darkworld. Any monsters they encountered we taken down by the more capable fighters, while the weaker members of Class stayed back. In truth, he simply made sure his classmates were safe while Saki and Class 3 did all the actual work.

After the Darkworld disappeared, a manic Saki search Ken and Ryoji's Dormroom, discovering Ryoji's journal as she did. After she read what was inside, Ken found himself having to give her some private time, and moved himself out of the room and onto the couch in the lounge.

As he leans back in the couch, he hears a familiar voice yet again.

“Ahoy Ken!”

Ken turns his head to see Nanami with a wide grin on her face. “Hey, Nanami...” Ken replies, “How are you holding up?”

“I'm doing great!” Nanami exclaims. “Today is a day of victory! Once again, we've pushed back those scurvy Darkworld dogs and-”

“Come on Nanami, I'm the only one here,” Ken interrupts. “You don't have to keep up the act around me. I want to know you're actually feeling, not how The Captain's feeling.”

Nanami stares at Ken before letting out a sigh. “I'm so tired Ken... I haven't slept at all since that night.”

Ken moves over on the sofa, offering up a place for Nanami to sit. She takes of her tri-corner hat before sitting down next to him, and in her tired state lies down across the couch, resting her head atop Ken's lap, looking up at him as they speak.

“I should apologise, Nanami...” Ken says, “I was really stupid that night. When you came by my room...”

“What?” Nanami asks, raising an eyebrow. “You weren't stupid! If you didn't want to talk about it, that's fine!”

“Yeah... but you did want to talk, didn't you?” Ken asks.

“Well, I...”

Ken nods. “I thought so... I was so caught up in everything that was going on, I didn't realise... you weren't coming to me just so that I had someone to talk to... you were looking for someone to talk to yourself... and I turned you away, didn't I?”

Nanami pouts. “Hey, don't feel bad!”

“Hard not to,” Ken replies, “I was a real idiot there. But now it's time to make it up to you, Nanami. Now I'm more than ready to talk. What's on your mind?”

Nanami's eyes dart downward, the back of her head still warming Ken's right thigh. “I miss them...” she mutters. “I miss Ryoji, and I miss Alice. I... I just don't understand what happened. We did it... we beat the bad guy, Ryoji powered up, he threw him into the air and he blew him up! That was it, and it was so very happy! All we had to do after that was sail off into the sunset, happily ever after... but that didn't happen. Why?”

Ken shakes his head. “I wish I knew, Nanami. Sometimes things just aren't fair... I mean, I doubt the Darkworld cares about what's fair.”

Nanami bites her bottom lip as she looks back up at Ken. “I guess you're taking this hard too...”

Ken lets out a deep sigh. “Yeah... it's been tough. I've been trying hard to keep it all together, but I'm just... worried. I'm worried about Ryoji, I'm worried about Alice... I'm worried that we'll never see them again.”

Nanami gasps. “Ken, don't say that! Saki is on the hunt, and she'll find them, no question!”

Ken sighs. “That's another thing I'm worried about. Saki is too focused on finding Ryoji right now. She bordering on obsessed, and I don't think it's healthy. She just mights be losing her mind. I'm worried about her too.”

Nanami frowns. “Yeah... same here. But I still think she can find them! It's Saki, she never gives up on her goals!”

“It's good to see you aren't losing hope,” Ken replies. “I... I know how hard this must be for you.”

“Yeah...” Nanami mutters, “But I think it might be worse for you. Ryoji's your best friend and your room-mate, and Alice is kind of... your girlfriend...”

The hurt in Nanami's voice as she says that is enough to break Ken's heart, making him feel the need to make something clear. “Nanami... Alice isn't my girlfriend. She let me kiss her once because... well, she's Alice and she just thought it was normal. I don't think she's capable of having an actual romantic connection in her state... it was all just wishful thinking on my part.”

Nanami lets out a low hum of sympathy. “Aww, Ken... well, just so you know, there are plenty of fish left in the sea.”

Ken takes a gulp, preparing himself. “Nanami... I think it's time we talked about that too.”

“What?” Nanami asks, still looking up at Ken.

“You know...” Ken nudges her, “It's time we talked out our... relationship in a mature way.”

“Do we have to?” Nanami protests. “Who cares about being mature with something this embarrassing?”

Ken sighs. “I just don't think we can leave this to the side and not talk it out... but if you're not comfortable with that, then I'm not going to forc-”

“Ken, I like you!” Nanami blurts out. “I really like you! I think you're funny, handsome, and a great guy who cares about people. I really wanted to take you out on my ship and kiss that pretty face of yours in the middle of the sea, the most romantic setting of all! But... you don't feel the same way, and... that hurts me.”

Ken looks down at Nanami, and places his hand on her head, comfortingly stroking her long pink hair. He remembers how crushed she was during the Endless Night, how she refused to even put on her hat and swore to stop with her silly game that made everyone so happy. It was painful for Ken to see, this funny girl who went out of her way to be a positive presence and happy influence being so distraught... and it was because of him.

“Nanami, I am so, so sorry,” Ken states.

“It's not your fault,” Nanami replies. “You... you can't control how you feel.”

“Yeah... but the way I feel is very stupid. Trust me, Nanami... I feel like a complete idiot for not being interested in you,” Ken runs his hands through Nanami's hair. It's so soft, the colour isn't the only part of it reminiscent of cotton candy. “I mean, look at you. You're beautiful, you're funny, you're kind, and you go out of your way to put a smile on people's faces. You're everything that anyone could ever want.”

“Stop Ken, you're making me blush!” A red-faced Nanami giggles while giving him a small slam to the arm.

“I just don't get it,” Ken shakes his head. “When I look at you, I know that I should be head over heels... but no matter how hard I try, I can't shake seeing you as one of my closest friends... it's infuriating.”

Nanami lets out a sigh. “Ken, don't beat yourself up... you just can't explain where these kinds of feelings come from, or why you feel them for another person. I'm... fine with us just being friends.”

“That's good to hear,” Ken replies, “Because I do like spending time with you Nanami, and I'd hate to see you upset.”

“Well, to make up for it,” Nanami jokes, “You're going to need to tell me more about you!”

“Huh?” Ken asks.

“Come on!” Nanami exclaims, reaching her hands up and squeezing his cheek together. “We're friends, but I don't know a whole lot about you! The Captain demands to know more about her second mate!”

“Well, what do you want to know?” Ken asks.

Nanami pauses for a moment. “Hmm... how about your family? What's your family like? You've never talked about them.”

“Okay... my mom's a seamstress. Lovely lady, though she can be a little embarrassing sometimes,” Ken answers.

“How?”

“Whenever I used to walk with her down the street, she would always make sure to point out any girl my age and bug me about talking to her,” Ken laughs.

“That's adorable!” Nanami replies. “So that's your mom... what about your dad?”

“My dad?” Ken pauses. “My dad... he's serving a life sentence in prison.”

Nanami's eyes widen. “Oh... I'm sorry...”

Ken shakes his head. “It's fine, really.”

“What did he do?” Nanami asks, a tone of curiosity in her voice. “It must have been huge for a life sentence. Did he kill someone? Blow up a building? This... isn't appropriate of me to ask, is it?”

Ken shakes his head. “It's okay for you to be curious. But what he did doesn't matter... he's gone now.”

“Well, I'm sorry your dad was like that...” Nanami mutters, “Was he mean to you? Did he hurt you when you were younger.”

“On the contrary,” Ken replies, “He was nothing but good to me. He was loving, he was caring, he bought me ice cream and action figures... but that didn't automatically make him a good person. I just had no idea as a kid.”

“That... must have been sad,” Nanami frowns.

“Yeah, it was,” Ken answers. “Now... what about you?”

“What about me?”

Ken smirks. “Come on, I shared something about myself. It's only fair you do the same.”

Nanami smiles. “Well, the tale of Captain Nanami began when-”

“No,” Ken interrupts. “I didn't ask about Captain Nanami. I like Captain Nanami, but right now I want to know a little about Nanami Fuji.”

Nanami pouts. “Aww, but I had a big epic tale I was going to weave on the fly!”

“Too bad,” Ken laughs.

“Fine, you got me...” Nanami sighs. “But regular Nanami isn't all that interesting.”

“I'll be the judge on that,” Ken replies.

“Okay... my dad is a dock worker,” Nanami explains. “So I did kinda grow up loving boats. Anytime me and mom visited him at work was like an adventure for me.”

“Huh, and what did your mom do?”

“My mom was a drama teacher in the local middle school,” Nanami replies.

Ken smiles. “Ah... the pieces are all fitting together.”

“Yeah... I guess my parents did have a real effect on me,” Nanami giggles. “Especially my mom. It was through her that I learned how amazing it was to entertain others, to put smiles on their faces. From the moment she told me about her job and about the theatre, I knew that I wanted to be an entertainer.”

“And so, I finally found out what makes you tick,” Ken smiles.

“Yeah...” Nanami trails off. “Sorry it wasn't very exciting. My other story had a colossal squid in it.”

“I prefer the honest one,” Ken replies. “The real you is just as interesting as your pirate character, Nanami. Don't sell yourself short.”

“Hey, Ken...?” Nanami yawns. “I'm really glad we can be friends.”

Ken looks down at the girl, realising that he was still unconsciously stroking her hair as he notes her rosy red cheeks, her small and pointed nose, and her wonderful smile. To hell with it, he should throw her a bone. “Nanami, can you close your eyes for a second?” he asks.

Nanami does as Ken says, as the boy leans down, his face inches from hers, before briefly brushes his lips against hers. He lips are soft and warm at the touch, only infuriating Ken further that he doesn't feel anything. He could be very happy with this girl if he could just work out what's stopping him from reciprocating her feelings. He pulls away and smiles, hoping that at least Nanami enjoyed it... only to hear snoring.

Wow, she wasn't kidding about being tired. Nanami went out like a light the second she closed her eyes. Ken sighs, feeling guilty that he let her fall asleep before giving her a kiss, as he lifts her from the couch. He carries her princess-style to her own room, laying her on the bed and pulling the blankets up over her. Her proceeds to turn down Nariko and Chihiro's excited requests that he stay the night and spoon with Nanami in bed.

It's only when he returns to the corridor that he remembers that Saki is currently occupying his room. Perhaps staying in Nanami's wasn't a terrible idea, but it's too late for that now. He elects to sleep on the couch, and accept the aches he'll have in the morning because of it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Raiden, get down!”

Several weeks later, and things continued as they did that first night. Saki would place Ken in charge of the group before heading off on his own, and despite how many times this has happened, Ken was yet to be accepted as a leader. He did the best job he could to keep everyone safe, but too few of the class actually respected him as an authority. Perhaps he was too soft, not strict enough... and he definitely wasn't as forceful and decisive as Saki. On that end, there were a few members of class who proved trouble... Seishiro was reckless as ever, even moreso without Akio around, as if he had something to prove, Rei had become irresponsible mess over the last while, and of course... there was Raiden, who seemed positively determined to get himself killed.

Ken was already on edge this time. On this night, even Hoshi had gone off chasing after Saki without explanation. Despite Ken's insistence that they should stop her, Reiji insisted that she'd be fine, that she picked up some very useful skills the other day. Ken didn't quite believe that a few skills were enough to keep Hoshi safe as she went out on her own, but she had already run off so quickly. And before they had a chance to catch up to her, the group was mobbed by a giant lobster-like creature.

“Get down?” Raiden replies. “I don't take orders from you. That thing is clearly the Guardian of this area. You think I'm going to hunker down and not kill it?”

“Don't be reckless!” Ken yells. “We can't just attack something like that head-on! We need to develop a better plan to-wait!”

“I'll kill them all...” Raiden mutters, as he charges the creature with his guns raised, firing on all cylinders. “I'll kill each and every one of them!”

“Raiden, look out!” Ken screams, noticing the creature, swinging it's claw, ready to send Raiden flying. Ken doesn't hesitate to swoop in, pushing Raiden back, and taking the hit instead. The pain is unbearable as he's certain the swipe broke his arm as soon as it made contact. What's worse is that he is sent flying, falling from the nearby cliff-face.

“Ken, Noooooooooo!” he hears Nanami's voice scream, the volume lowering as she becomes more and more distant, and Ken descends lower, reaching the ground below with a hard landing.

If his bones weren't broken before, they sure as hell are now. As he groans in pain, lying completely immobile on his back, he is shocked to catch a glimpse of blonde hair in his line of sight. Before he has time to wonder if he was imagining it, he field of vision is taken up by the face of a smiling girl, who has hunkered down to meet him.

“A-Alice?” Ken mutters, still gasping in pain. “Is that really you?”

Alice gives a wry smile and tilts her head. “No... well, yes. I'm me and I'm not, you see!”

Of course... she's been working alongside that demon inside her. Her speech always got more confusing when that thing was influencing her. “Alice... what are you doing here?”

“The same thing you wish you were doing right now!”

“Standing?” Ken jokes.

“Chasing the white rabbit!” Alice explains. “And the bottom of the rabbit hole has almost been reached!”

“W-wait... are you telling me you've found Ryoji?” Ken asks. “Well... where is he?”

“Not where he is, but where he'll be!” Alice exclaims. “You will find a stranger standing between twelve stones!”

Stranger... that's the name of Ryoji's demon, isn't it? “Alice... please tell me these are a literal twelve stones. I've never been good with your metaphors.”

Alice smiles. “The boy of justice isn't scared,” she replies. “He will find his friend.”

“You mean it?” Ken asks, hopeful.

Alice's face shifts. There seems to be a greater look of clarity in her eyes, and a lot more familiarity in her smile as she looks at him. It doesn't take Ken long to realise that the demon has taken a step back to allow the girl to speak.

“I promise... Ken,” she smiles, placing her hand gently on his cheek. She pulls away and dusts herself off, before giving a cheerful wave. “See you soon!” she shouts, before bolting.

“Alice, wait!” Ken calls out. “You can't just run off! Alice, come back!”

But there's nothing he can do. She's already gone, and he can't even pick himself off the ground. Before he knows it, the ground is crumbling beneath him, and the world is returning to normal around him. It seems the class were able to defeat that guardian on their own.

As he returns to his the classroom, he noticing Rei running for the window and opening it before coughing up a lot of blood. A concerned Akemi rubs her back as if she was bringing a baby to burp, as a few eyes turn their focus on him.

“KEN!” Nanami screams, dropping to her knees and holding his head in her hands. She holds him tight, his face being shoved into her soft chest as she does. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine...” Ken groans. “Just a regular case of everything being broken.”

“Don't worry, I'll patch you up as best I can,” Hiro replies, kneeling down and placing his hands on his body, working his magic. A glowing aura emanates from Hiro's hands, and soon Ken begins to feel his pain relieved. Soon, he is able to be raised to his feet, being held up by Nanami and Hiro as his arms are slung over their shoulders.

“Why did you do that?” Raiden asks him, his arms folded. “Why didn't you just stay out of the way and let me die?”

“You know I couldn't allow that,” Ken replies. “It's my responsibility to make sure everyone makes it out safe and sound.”

“So you were willing to sacrifice your own life to safe mine?” Raiden asks. “After all I've done? Have you forgotten what I did to Ryoji?”

Ken shakes his head, hearing a sharp crack in his neck as he does. “That was in the past, and it doesn't matter. A life is a life.”

“I thought you were the one obsessed with justice,” Raiden mutters. “Don't you think I deserve to die for my crimes? Isn't that what's fair?”

“Nobody deserves to die, Raiden...” Ken mutters. “You're life is just as valuable as anyone else's. You were already punished for what you did to Ryoji... Class 3 punished you far more than was necessary. Hurting yourself more isn't justice, it's just hatred.”

“You honestly think my life is just as valuable as yours?” Raiden asks.

“Of course I do,” Ken replies.

Raiden shakes his head. “Then you truly are an idiot.”

He storms off, as Ken lets out a sigh. “I thought what you did was very brave!” Hiro smiles.

“We all think that!” Nanami adds. “Don't listen to him! He's just ungrateful!”

Ken turns his head over to look at Rei, who is still poking her head out the window and hunched over. “She... used her powers to beat that thing, didn't she?”

“Yeah...” Nanami mutters.

“Damn it...” Ken grimaces. “She shouldn't have had to resort to that. We all know what they do to her... if I hadn't let myself get taken out, she wouldn't have...”

“Now's not the time to be blaming yourself for anything,” Hiro replies. “We need to get you to the nurse's office!”

Ken takes a deep breath. He saved Raiden, but he let himself get taken down. He put the class in a situation where they were operating without any leader, and Rei had to resort to using an ability that shortens her lifespan because of it. He was able to finally get a clue as to where Ryoji was... but when it came to his role as a leader, Ken was a failure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So... you and Ryoji do this all the time?”

Ken had no idea why, but after that night Saki had been acting of a much clearer mind. Perhaps it was something that happened between her and Hoshi in the Darkworld, because even before Ken informed her of the lead given by Alice, she was determined to return to the group as leader and for everyone to work together in the search. It was a relief that Saki was beginning to return to her old self, and Ken no longer had to worry about her hurting herself as she tried to do it all on her own. Though deep down, Ken was also thankful that with Saki returning to the group, Ken no longer had to fail in his role as a leader.

A few days later, Saki asked Ken is she could join him on a fishing trip in the lake. Ken agreed, happy to see Saki taking an interest in socialising with others, and very happy to have someone carry the equipment as he still needed a crutch to walk after his incident a few nights prior.

As they arrived at the town lake and cast off their reels, Saki having a lot of trouble on her first few tries, the conversation started off slow. While Ken had grown to consider Saki a friend, he didn't know quite as much about her as he should, and he found himself worried about bringing up one of the main interests they shared, with the fear that talking about Ryoji would upset her. It was Saki who eventually broke the silence between them.

“Yeah, but we usually do it by the tiny pond outside the dorm.”

“Why?” Saki asks, raising an eyebrow. “There's no fish in that pond.”

Ken shrugs. “It's always been more an exercise in relaxation than actually trying to catch any fish.”

“I see...” Saki hums. “So... why are we out here?”

“Because today I really need to catch a fish,” Ken replies, a determined look in his eye.

“And why is that?” Saki asks.

“Because...” Ken sighs. “I really need to feel like I've won something.”

Saki looks at Ken with concern. “Ken... are you okay?”

Ken shakes his head. “I don't know, I just feel like... like no matter what it is I do, I just end up losing. I can't remember the last time I've ever actually had a true victory to myself. You placing me in charge of the group while you were occupied has made me realise how much of a loser I can be.”

“I thought you always wanted to be a leader?” Saki asks.

“Well, I never wanted it, exactly...” Ken explains, “But I always feel a strong responsibility to lead by example. But I did a terrible job while I was in charge. I don't think I'm at all cut out to be a leader.”

Saki smiles. “Ken... from what I heard, you almost sacrificed yourself to save Raiden when he was in danger.”

“I know... pretty stupid of me.”

“No, not at all,” Saki explains. “Being willing to give everything up for those under you, that's the true mark of a leader. At the end of the day, everything you do should be for them. And that means even giving yourself up to save another. There's no nobler thing in this world.”

“You think so?” Ken asks.

“Of course!” Saki explains. “You don't need to be so hard on yourself, Ken. It's not an easy job, but you did fine. Everyone is still here, and you're a big part of that. I'm sure some people will dislike you and be unwilling to follow your others, but sometimes you just can't control that. You have to just keep on doing what you're doing. I seem to recall a certain unruly delinquent who was always reluctant to follow orders...”

Ken laughs. “And what happened there?”

“I still saved his butt a million times over!” Saki laughs. “And... we're going to save it again.”

Ken smiles. “We're getting close. Alice finally gave us the lead we've been looking for. We know exactly what to look out for in order to find Ryoji.”

“To find The Stranger,” Saki clarifies. “Finding him is only the first step. The next is saving Ryoji from that demon.”

“Yeah... then there's the matter of our hint,” Ken replies. “We'll find him standing between twelve stones... we know what to look out for, but it would be good to know what it is exactly... that way, we could keep our eyes peeled for it. That's assuming that it's an actual spot within the Darkworld and not one of Alice's cryptic riddles...”

“We'll work it out,” Saki replies. “If we all put our heads together, there's no end to what we might do.”

“I suppose so...” Ken replies, before feeling a tug the string of his rod. He rises to his feet and begins to reel it in. “Come on... come on...”

Ken pulls back on the reel, trying to pull the seemingly large fish on the end to land, as an excited and smiling Saki cheers him on.

Ken smirks as he continues to reel in the fish, bringing it so very close to the lake bank... until the string snaps, and Ken falls back as the fish swims away. Yet another loss.

“Ken...” a concerned Saki mutters, staring at him as he looks up to the sky, flat on his back. “Are you... okay?”

Ken burst into laughter, confusing Saki.

“Ken?”

Ken begins himself up, dusting himself off as he continues to laugh. “Ha, looks like I'm still due for a win! You know what that means?”

“What?”

“We're bringing them home!” Ken exclaims. “Ryoji and Alice will be coming back to us any day now. I can feel it in my bones. All this loss needs a big win to balance it out. The only thing that can justify this is their return. So it's settled!”

Saki smiles and gives a small laugh of her own. “Well... that's a good outlook! You're right Ken, they're coming home soon!”

Saki and Ken share a laugh as they pick up their equipment and begin to return to the academy. Ken looks back over at the lake. It won't be long now before he and Ryoji are free to fish there together once more. It won't be long until he'll be able to see Alice again. It won't be long until he finally gets that win. The universe demands justice, that all this bad is balanced out with something good.

It's only fair.

THE END