"You didn't have to dress up like this" said Shoguri, leaning against the treshold.

Yuume glared at him.

"It's just white shirt and trousers" said hikouri.

"But you had this shirt on Tsuneo's wedding" replied Shoguri.

"Oh, come one" Yuume put on the waistcoat and grabbed his bag. "Why are you laughing?"

"The last time I saw you caring so much about your look was when you wanted to ask Chou, if she'll marry you" explained Shoguri.

"Don't remind me" mumbled Yuume.

"But she agreed" Shoguri pointed out. "It's another thing that she threw this ring at you some months later."

Yuume sighed.

"I'll tell you later, how it was" promised the hikouri. "See you later."

"Don't sleep with him at the first date" Shoguri pushed him out of their apartment.

"Do I look like Rencha?" asked Yuume.

Shoguri just laughed.

Yuume wouldn't be so stressed about this meeting, if not a fact that five years passed for Kin. Would he even recognise him? Right, even if he doesn't remember his appeareance, he has to have written his personal data down. He probably knows that Yuume has to meet him, he has to pay him, right? Annoying people with magical powers isn't the best idea, even if you also have magical powers and even if this person is just a girl, who likes changing hair and skin colour. Yuume remembers to this day, when she chose a look of a zombie and almost scared him to death. He's going to have a heart attack because of Kyuko, really.

Jikan Guild's Headquarter looked the same as before. Just young pines planted in front of the building have grown and have already begun to cover the windows on the ground floor.

Yuume went inside. The same receptionist in a white mask with silver ornaments was sitting behind the counter, only this time she was awake and the belly bump under her kimono explained her behavior last time.

"Welcome to the Jikan Guild, Japanese Unit 29” she recited like before. “What can I do for you?”

"I want to pay for the call" explained Yuume.

The receptionist nodded.

"Of course. Do you remember, where the Connection Room is?" she asked, sitting in front of the computer.

"Yes" Yuume nodded.

"Can you please give me your name?"

"Tansetsuki Yuume" hikouri introduced himself.

Receptionist wrote his name on laptop's keyboard and smiled slightly.

"Oh" she said with strangely melancholic voice. "You have to go to meet Midori. She should be at her desk."

"Thank you" Yuume smiled kindly. "Which month?"

"What? Ah, right" the receptionist giggled. "Sixth, but they're twins. Based on the date, I suspect you caught me falling asleep at work, it happened to me quite often in the beginning... Now go ahead."

"Have a nice day" Yuume started walking towards the Connection Room.

"Thanks" the receptionist smiled slightly.

When Yuume pushed the door at the corridor's end, he noticed that Midori was already waiting for him. Probably a receptionist informed her, maybe through Midtimes, that he arrived.

"Good morning, Tansetsuki-san" Midori bowed a little.

Yuume bowed back.

"Good morning, Midori-san" hikouri sat in front of her.

"It's your potion" Midori gave him a bottle. "Do you have a first installment?"

"I'm sorry for being rude, but shouldn't Kin-san be the one to give me this potion?" asked Yuume asked.

"As for who gets the money, don't worry, we'll give it to the family" announced Midori.

Yuume blinked.

"Family?"

"Yes, Tansetsuki-san" Midori sighed. "Kin-san... Kin has been dead for four years."

Yuume almost dropped the bottle. His heart thumped unnaturally loud. He hid the potion in his bag and closed his eyes.

Kin... is dead...?

"How...?" he asked quietly.

"We can't tell you anything, Tansetsuki-san" replied Midori. "I'm sorry."

"So why did you send me to him?" asked Yuume, rubbing his temples.

"Because five years ago he was still alive. If we stopped suddenly sending clients to him, he would realise that he's going to die and it would break timespace" explained Midori. "Tansetsuki-san? Are you okay?"

"Yes" Yuume put the first installment on Midori's desk. "I'll... give you the rest later."

"Of course" Midori nodded. "You can also keep the bell in case you want to give Kin another assignment."

"Yes" Yuume nodded. "Perhaps I will. Goodbye."

Yuume turned around and letf the Connection Room. He felt dizzy. He had to do something. He had to save him. He had to find out, why he died and who he was.

He had to... prevent... another... death...

"Tansetsuki-san!" he heard the receptionist's voice, before he fainted and fell on the floor.

...stupid anxiety.