It was another rainy day at the cardshop, and Miwa wasn't smiling much.

His chin resting on one of the tables towards the back of the room, Miwa stared glumly at the door, away from the familiar faces of Card Capital. A table over Aichi and Naoki were in the middle of a match, and the latter was losing. Kai watched with disdain, occasionally shaking his head as Naoki floundered to keep his damage above 6. Business was slow and not too many customers had shown up, a few stragglers rushing in from the downpour and playing a game or two, waiting for the rain to let up. It was a lucky thing- an important employee was absent today.

"Your break is almost up, Miwa, but you can take some extra time." Shin called from behind the counter, pausing to scratch the sub manager behind the ears as he carried a few boxes to the store room. "Work is light today anyway."

Miwa smiled half-heartedly, returning his eyes to the door as his expression reverted as dull as it had been before. "Just another minute, sir." He said in a voice slower and more somber than usual. Shin frowned but seemed to understand, concerned about the boy. It was so strange to see him like this. He wondered if he was sick, too, and made a mental note to offer the kids some tea later.

"You should've joined us while you had the chance, Miwa!" Morikawa crowed from his table closer to the doors, a bunch of grade 3 cards overfilling his hands. "Although, I understand if you were afraid to face my new deck- I know you wouldn't want to cry in public!"

Miwa didn't even offer him a glance, his expression stony. Aichi looked over at him, momentarily forgetting his game with Naoki, and frowned with worry at his friend sitting alone. "Kai-kun, what's wrong with Miwa today?" he asked in a low voice, hoping Miwa would not hear.

Kai shrugged, his demeanor impatient and gruff. "It's something stupid. I told him not to worry about it, but…I'm not at liberty to tell anyone." He glanced at Aichi with a bemused expression, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry. It's personal, and I promised him."

Aichi smiled, a little reassured. It was so like Miwa to tell his best friend everything, and Kai's tone was none too worried. Things had to be alright. "Of course, Kai-kun. As long as he's okay! He just looks so miserable."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it." He scoffed. With a flick of his wrist he point towards Naoki's damage, and the sixth card about to be placed in the zone. "That's game. My turn next." Naoki grumbled good-naturedly, gathering his deck and moving over a chair as Kai took his seat and began shuffling his own deck. They were about to ride their vanguards when the bell attached to the front door jingled, and the sound of wet shoes squeaked against the tiles.

Misaki stood in the doorway, glowering beneath a yellow rain coat that dripped all over the floor and looking soggy. As the others turned to greet her they quickly averted their eyes in terror at the sheer ferocity of her expression, and Naoki whispered loudly, "Whoa, Boss-Lady looks…"

"Misaki-chan!"

Miwa stood up abruptly, his chair clattering aside as he raced towards the front of the store. Without a moment of hesitation his hands were on her shoulders, and he ignored how wet she was, pulling her out of the doorway and into the store. Misaki's previously stormy expression changed to startled bewilderment as she processed the blonde blur of motion in front of her.

"Misaki-chan, er, nee-chan, hey, please don't be angry with me! I never meant to…look, you didn't have to pretend to be sick to avoid me, I just- listen, I don't want this to change anything, and!"

Misaki blinked, staring at Miwa as if he grew another head. "What are you TALKING about?" she asked, exasperated. She pried his hands away from her shoulders but to her embarrassment they clung to her own hands, and he was looking at her so intently she was blushing in confusion. "What's gotten into you?"

"You…you didn't read your text messages last night?"

"No, why? I fell asleep early…my head has been hurting, and I'm congested…also, I'd really appreciate if you backed up, you shouldn't get so close to someone who's sick, Mi-"

Miwa threw his arms around her, getting the front of his jacket soaked as her face turned scarlet. "Oh, thank god. Thank god."

Aichi exchanged looks with Naoki and Ishida, but when they looked to Kai he was smirking with mean-spirited amusement. "Hey, Kai, is this what he was so upset over?" Naoki asked a little too loudly. "What has he been pouting over all day?! It was about Misaki?"

Miwa began pestering Misaki for her phone, completely oblivious to their audience as he begged her to let him see it. "I got a new number, look can I change my contact info? It'll only take a second!" Misaki stared at him with a deadpan expression, clutching it with a tight grip, and when he reached for it she held it behind her, and then over her head. "I'll do it for you," she said slowly, watching the color run out of his face. "What's that new number, Miwa?"

"Eh? But Miwa texted me yesterday, and that was the same number, if I'm not mistaken," Aichi wondered aloud, and Kai continued to grin. "It's a lie, of course." He responded quietly. "He didn't want her to see his message and he wants to delete it before she gets the chance."

"But what could he say that would be that bad?" asked Aichi in complete naivety.

"That he wants to take her out on a date. And possibly something along the lines of, 'you're more beautiful and intelligent than even Minerva and Amaterasu combined.' I told him that he'd regret that line, but, when does he ever use common sense."