[[Just an FYI, the plot begins to thicken starting now, and my chapter updates may take longer. Thanks for being patient and thank you for your reviews! Enjoy!]]

Silence filled the bar while Decim sat alone, suffering quietly.

'Why?' He thought. He couldn't understand why Nona thought this to be such a wonderful idea. He'd been enduring the pain of Chiyuki's passing for nearly 13 human years, and now this? Now not only did he have to observe her, he had to deal his hand in killing her as well? It was outright cruel.

Running his hand through his hair Decim glanced over his shoulder, towards Chiyuki's mannequin. She sat limp in her chair, staring at nothing. For all the time and effort he had put into her model, he finally had the chance to gain her back. For years he had wished for Chiyuki to return, hoping she'd one day walk through those elevator doors once again, and now he had the opportunity. An opportunity that came with a terrible price.

"I can't..I can't hurt you again.." His voice trembled with the coming tears. Her face stared blankly back at him, the chiseled pink smile etched hauntingly upon her face. Decim realized that he may never have an opportunity like this again. He knew that Chiyuki's mannequin was only that, a wooden doll, that held no feelings, no emotions...just like him. But unlike him, she was human, once. She lived within the moments, her emotions fresh and enticing. She lived a fulfilling life.

With a sigh, Decim pushed himself off the stool and over towards the arcade game. It seemed like it came straight out of an eighties game room. He had to admit, Ginti had good taste for vintage video games. The machine stood to about shoulder height, and was very large and bulky. The edges were worn down and in the center of the dashboard was a small joystick and one small red button. Decim eyed the red button, making certain to keep his hand away. Moving the joystick, the screen came awake. It glowed an off grey at first and then faded into view. Before him was Miyuri, sleeping under a bridge.

"So you really are homeless…" he whispered to himself, his heart aching for her as she slept among a pile of half-filled trash bags. She was using them as a makeshift mattress, which impressed Decim for a moment. Her cleverness seemed to have continued on to her next life. Although she was alone, it seemed to Decim that she had made a tiny temporary shelter under the bridge. About ten feet along the river were a small row of sandbags, stacked against the mud to keep the water from flowing towards her, while the rest were curved around to make an outer foundation. Her makeshift shelter didn't have any walls, as she used the bridge to shelter her from the elements. Surrounding her were dozens of gallon jugs, trash bags, blankets and a small seating mat.

He wondered how long she had been staying under the bridge, hiding away from the world. In the distance, Decim could see the sun perfectly beginning to rise and it amazed him how wonderful the graphics were on the screen, even if it was an old eighties video game.

After a moment, Miyuri began to stir awake, stretching and yawning. Decim watched closely, wondering what she would do with her day. It was strange to him, watching her live her earthly life. Even though he had judged the lives of countless humans, retaining their memories, he never fully comprehended the everyday struggle humans had to endure. Seeing the human of Chiyuki's soul live her life in conflict caused Decim to feel even more grief for her.

Miyuri pushed herself up after she awoke and raked a hand through her hair. It was untidy and dirty, but she managed to push an old hair brush through and calm it down. Beside her was a bag of clothes, where she pulled out a pair of black shorts, a purple tank top and a pair of worn out sandals. Her clothes were kept safe in the bag, allowing her to look presentable to the world. Decim was contempt with the fact that she managed to keep up with herself.

Decim continued to observe her for a moment until the elevator sounded the arrival of a sudden guest. He glanced towards the entrance to see Nona making her way over once again. Without a word, Decim turned back towards the screen.

"How is she?" Nona mused as she made her way over towards his side.

Decim kept quiet, his eyes not meeting hers. Nona didn't say a word either, filling the room with an awkward silence.

"She's homeless...I don't understand."

"This is the fate of her life. She has the choices to change it if she wants." Nona's voice was nonchalant, not a care upon her lips.

Decim couldn't seem to grasp why this life was planned out for her. Was this his punishment? Shaking his head, Decim made his way over towards a small seating area, isolating himself.

Nona glanced towards the screen, noticing Miyuri walking in a high end makeup store. She soon noticed her bagging many different types of makeup, smuggling it into her bag.

"A little thief as well."

Decim ignored her, not wanting to face the truth of the matter. He knew the problem of the situation. He knew Miyuri had no choice but to steal in her life, to survive.

Nona continued to observe her, watching her bounce from store to store, stealing small clothes and products from each one until she finally had to much in her bag for any more. She watched her make her way back to her makeshift shelter, stuffing each product into its designated bag. Unlike Decim, Nona could tell that the makeshift 'home' was not her permanent home. The bags were used for transporting her items, allowing her to travel with ease. Nona had a feeling that Miyuri probably didn't have a permanent place to stay, possibly hoping from one location to another.

After a while, Miyuri began to make up her face, dapping on lipstick, foundation and eyeshadow until she looked far more older than she was. She switched out her shorts for a mini skirt, stuffed her breast with a push up bra she stole earlier and pulled on a pair of boots as well.

Nona knew where this was going. She had observed the human world far too long to not know...But she wondered if Decim would understand.

Miyuri sold herself to random individuals to survive on her own. She was a prostitute, but lucky for her, she flew solo, not working under a pimp. Miyuri handled her business on her own, keeping her under the radar a bit and only handling enough money to eat, causing her to look less suspicious. Nona added up the readily available convenience of the bags and figured Miyuri didn't stay in one city for long.

Nona glanced over towards Decim, watching him run his fingers through Chiyuki's lifeless hair over and over, distant as he stared at the floor. With a sigh she turned back toward the screen, noticing Miyuri do what every prostitute would do. Haggle with men outside of busy clubs and host bars, persuading them until one was willing to pay her small price.

"Decim, come here please. You need to see something." Nona asked softly. She tabbed through many different ways she could go about telling him, but she figured up front would be the best way.

Decim placed Chiyuki's mannequin on the couch before making his way over towards her, his face blank as a slate. He stood behind Nona, watching the screen, as Miyuri followed a man up into an apartment, kissing and grabbing at his pants.

He had seen it plenty of times before, with the memories of his previous guests. This was lust, desire. But deep down, he felt that this wasn't exactly what it seemed.

"Do you understand what's happening, Decim?" Nona eyed him.

He stood quiet, not answering.

"To survive, she sells her body. She's a prostitute. This is her life, thieving and whoring away." she mentioned.

"Please Stop.."

"You can end this Decim-"

"Stop!" he snapped shortly, his eyes cold as he stared down at hers, shocked before him. Decim had never broken composure until now, but he quickly recovered.

"I'm terribly sorry, Nona-san."

Nona sighed and pushed him away, making her way back towards the elevator.

"She's in your hands now, Decim."