A/N: Pretended to work today so that I could write this. Hehe~ Enjoy the rollercoaster :) 

--

"I'm surprised to see you two here," Yuto said to the girls. "Why the sudden visit?"

"We um- just wanted to say hi!" Rio explained but Yuto knew too well that it was a lie. "I see." He replied, deciding not to dig any deeper into the cause. "I'll drive you two back." 

"No, that's okay," Amu assured him. "We'll take a taxi. You have a packed day, right?" 

"Yeah but-" 

"Don't worry about it." Rio insisted. "We'll be safe together."

Yuto obviously felt uncomfortable, given what happened to them just recently. "Okay, but let me know if something seems out of the ordinary." He said before escorting the girls through the back doors. 

After making sure they entered the taxi safely, he turned around proceeded back towards the elevators, and to their lounge room. Just as he was about to enter it, he noticed Chinen entering another one and followed him into it. 

"What was that before?" Yuto asked after confirming that the two of them were now alone. 

Chinen was surprised by the sudden confrontation of his friend but loosened his expression after remembering what unfolded earlier before. "I overheard what Dai-chan told Ryo after they ran out... That he's ready to give up on Amu." He paused. "And there's no way I could sit back and just watch that happen." 

The latter raised an eyebrow. "But aren't you only adding to the fire?"

Chinen shook his head. "He only needs a taste of what it's like to really end it." 

"I don't know, Chii." Yuto sighed.

"What's with this sudden interrogation?" The younger one chuckled nervously before pulling his laptop from out of his bag. "Do you mind giving me some space? I have some work to do."

"It just bothers me how strange you've been acting recently." 

"So are you. Did you not think anyone of us noticed how many times you checked your phones today? What are you so on edge of?" 

The latter glanced away and proceeded to leave the room. "It's none of your business." 

"Like how mine is none of yours," Chinen spoke back before hearing the door slam shut. 

--

"I'm a complete idiot." Daiki frowned, crouching down to the floor. He buried his head in his arms as Ryosuke closed the door behind them. "I was so close to asking for her back but I didn't know she already got back with Chinen." 

Ryosuke took a seat next to his best friend. "Dude, honestly though you kind of had it coming with that mentality of yours before." 

Daiki raised his head, dumbfounded by the latter's blunt remark but was surprised to be met by a smile instead. "Are you nuts?" 

"On the other hand, you get to experience life from Chinen's perspective." The younger shrugged. He leaned his head against the vending machine behind him and sighed. "What I'd do to be in Yuto's shoes right now." 

"That's a first. I never thought THE Yamada Ryosuke would ever wish to be someone else in his entire lifetime." 

"Well, I'm not Ryosuke without Rio."

The two continued to sit in complete silence for a brief a minute until Daiki finally decided to glance up and that was when he noticed that something was off. "Yeah, you're definitely not because the OCD Ryo I know would never leave his locker unlocked." 

The latter raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I always lock my locker." He said, standing up to take a better look at his lock. He narrowed his eyes when he realized that his lock wasn't completely pushed in- a broken functionality that occurred just a month ago. In order to fully lock it, he needed to forcefully shove it back together. If he didn't do this then it wouldn't properly secure although it seemed like it was. "That's strange. I clearly remembered locking it just before our rehearsal before." He mumbled. 

Ryosuke suddenly remembered how strangely Rio acted just moments before and without hesitating, he pulled through the lock and threw open his locker to see if anything was missing. He glanced at his belongings, attempting to remember what he usually kept in there as he tapped his finger against the locker door every time he confirmed that the item was there. 

"My hairbrush and beanie are both missing..." He concluded, glancing at his friend to see if he could somehow piece together the puzzle. 

"Everything is here for me," Daiki added after having fully gone through his own locker. "Why would they take the two most random things?" 

"Beats me.." Ryosuke pondered.

Then it hits him.

In the next matter of moments, Ryosuke threw on his jacket and slammed his locker door shut. "I'm going after her." He said before patting his best friend on the shoulder. "Can you cover for me today?" 

"Yeah, man." Daiki nodded, now knowing as well the exact reason why the girls came today. Amu didn't come here for Chinen- she was Rio's decoy to buy some time while Rio went to break into Ryosuke's locker for some DNA samples. "And hey-" Daiki added, causing Ryosuke to stop abruptly in his tracks. 

"We made the wrong choice before listening to the anon instead of our guts. If you can, go win her back before it's too late." 

Ryosuke nodded, realizing that his best friend was finally returning to some sort of his own senses. He shot him an affirming smile before quickly speeding out the door. 

--

Rio and Amu thanked the driver before climbing out of the cab. After what seemed to be the longest drive of their life, they finally arrived at the laboratory. 

It didn't take long for Rio to request a guest pass for Amu from the receptionist. "This way." She then instructed, hurrying down the hall. 

The two trailed into a rather large research room and Rio spun to action, grabbing all of her research materials from her bag and scattering them along the white table.

"So it begins, huh," Amu noted, watching her best friend concentrating immensely at work. Not knowing what to do, the younger girl decided to roam around the room, staring at various research equipment in wonder of its functionalities.

After what seemed like 15 minutes, Amu heard a knock on the door and immediately glanced back at Rio for instructions. On the other hand, Rio was in complete concentration mode that she didn't even hear the subtle knocking, to begin with. 

Bored out of her wits, Amu's curiosity got the best of her and she decided to open the door, only to gasp at the person behind it. 

"Yama? What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, capturing the attention of the other girl in the room