Despite everything, life goes on. It's not the same as it was before the Game - none of them are the same people, and that might be a good thing - but Neku can still recognise it as how it'd been, how he could've seen it beforehand, if only he'd looked.

He can't forgive Joshua, and doesn't want to, but he can understand, a little.

It's back to work as soon as he wakes up, though there's little he'd love to do more than lie down and sleep forever. Three weeks dead (out on sick leave, officially; spent skipping, as understood by his parents, and that's something he almost wishes he could still Imprint away) means three weeks of classwork missing, and he can't afford to stay behind. Still, it means there's stuff to do outside his own head, and he has the meeting at Hachiko to look forward to.

Enjoy the moment, CAT always says, and he thinks he knows what that means now.

Neku's right, Beat knows: screw his parents; he needs to do things for himself. And he got himself a second chance, and got Rhyme a second chance, and he's got to make the best of it.

Easier said than done. His grades were already in a hole before he died, and maybe they would've been no matter what he'd done, but he could've tried, yeah? And maybe he doesn't want to be the quitter he'd been - he's better than that; he can do better than that; screw anyone who disagrees - but this is a bigger problem than he knows what to do with.

Fuck.

He picks up the phone and calls Neku.

A psychotic break, that's what they're calling it. Or not calling it, really, like leaving it unnamed keeps it from being real, keeps it from happening to anyone else. Stress over exams, you know; not everyone can handle it.

Shiki could laugh: that's one of the few things she wasn't worried about. Maybe she should've been, but she's no designer: she's always been Eri's shadow. And maybe she doesn't have to be, anymore, and maybe Eri relies on her as much as she on Eri, but she was sort of figuring she'd coast by like she'd been doing. Use Eri's connections to get an apprenticeship somewhere.

At least Eri has the notes she'd missed, and enough lingering guilt to let her copy off her homework. Another thing she'll owe Eri for, but her pride can take it.

She's stronger than she's ever been.

Life is what it is, and Rhyme knows better than anyone how little she can take it for granted. She's lucky to be here at all; she lost, but she's back anyway, almost like it'd never happened.

But she doesn't feel lucky, doesn't feel much of anything. She's behind in her schoolwork (they all are) but she can't bring herself to care. Did she ever? She must have.

The future is another country, and she's misplaced her map.

(She'll just have to draw a new one.)

Uzuki can't remember the past week. Something happened, something important, but it slips out of her fingers the moment she thinks she has it. She tries asking Kariya about it, but he just gives her a look that's maybe patronising and maybe confused, and irritating the whole way through.

Ms Konishi's gone, and if the Iron Maiden can't cut it, what chance does she have?

Her phone buzzes.

You're appointed to Game Master until further notice. - The Composer

… Kariya's going to owe her ramen for the next month.

Nothing changes, and yet everything does. The band's still together - despite everything, they're still together - and maybe 777's scared of the dark, and BJ and Tenho can't think about the last Game without wanting to cry, but Def Märch is Def Märch and at least the tech's still normal. (… Probably.)

777's got a new duet with BJ, now, something to help him with his stage fright, and maybe let him front a song or two of his own, and even if Tenho sucks at Tin Pin, he's still a hell of a drummer.

They're doing pretty good, all things considered. Great, even, considering Tenho knows something happened to 777, and he thinks BJ might've been gone, too. Not bad for a bunch of dead guys.

The only thing that matters is the next show.

Eri's not jealous - she's got nothing to be jealous of - but it's still a little strange the first time she invites Shiki over and Shiki turns her down. "I've got plans with Neku, Beat, and Rhyme," she says, apologetic, and while Eri's thrilled Shiki's got other friends now … it's a little strange. A little distant, while Shiki had always been one step away from her.

A little strange, but not bad. And if Shiki no longer needs Eri the way Eri needs Shiki … she's glad for her, really. Shiki ought to feel allowed to be her own person.

"I got two tickets to a Def Märch concert," Shiki tells her hurriedly. "Would you go out with me?"

And maybe nothing lasts, but nothing ever ends, either.

Shooter might not be the current champion, but his burning spirit will persevere! He just needs to work hard, and do his homework so he doesn't get grounded, and he'll be inpincible. Never give up!

That prissy blond who's been showing up at Stride lately sure is something, though.

The coffee shop's been pretty quiet these days, though that's nothing new. Sanae makes sure to keep the coffee fresh and the soup edible, though, just in case. The kids have better things to do than hang around an old fogey like him, anyway.

Most of them.

"Hey, boss," he says, and Neku's smile burns like a star.

He's lonely. How did he not recognise it before? A whole world of people who value Shibuya over him: that's just how it goes. And one other.

And maybe it's not done for him to go on a walkabout, nothing new to learn and his own Vibe too high to go unnoticed for long, but it's … nice, to spend a few hours being the person he'd pretended to be, always sure he can go back to being Himself the moment he pleases.

Something new to do.

Expand your horizons, Sanae always says, and maybe he'd had a point.