Should she ask the question. 

She really shouldn't, should she. She still doesn't really know Sakura-san. And it's not as if one more day will make a difference one way or another. 

- one more day of going the wrong wrong wrong direction, one more day of hurt and emptiness and dead feelings, one more one more one more - 

Akira doesn't look at him either, just goes upstairs and changes into her boy clothes again and gets back to cleaning. Can't stain the uniform. 

She's so tired. She just wants to sleep for a month. For a year. Forever, maybe.

She cleans anyway. It's what she's supposed to do.

The attic gets progressively tidier and cleaner, until soon it just looks rustic rather than filthy. There's still the stack of boxes, but most of them can be thrown out sometime soon, judging by the look of the contents. The rest will probably fit on the bottom of the coffee rack if she rearranges the sacks of beans enough. 

She's physically exhausted now as well as mentally, but there's still the ladder to deal with and the jerry cans. 

She takes the jerry cans downstairs with her. The ladder will have to be next.

"Hey," she says to Sakura-san. She doesn't have it in her to be cheery.

"Hey kid. You look tired."

He heads up to grab the ladder, getting a look of the room.

"Damn, kid," he exclaims, "you really put in the elbow grease up here. Good job. Mind grabbing the other end of this ladder with me?"

"Sure." Her voice is flat, dead. It's hard to fake enthusiasm.

She takes firm hold of the offered end of the ladder.

Sojiro takes the the front end, going backwards, which will be heavier going downstairs. When they get to the door, he sets the ladder down outside briefly to flip the sign on the door to "closed", then they continue back to his house. Once they arrive, he sets down the ladder against the wall just inside the gate. "I'll show you where the shower is, kid. I'll handle the rest of these."

"Thanks."

A shower is not exactly what she needs right now but she'll take it.

The shower is upstairs. It's simple enough. There are a variety of hygiene products. Sojiro says she can use any of them tonight and he'll give her some money to pick some up tomorrow at the store.

She'll deal. 

It's not comfortable, but at least the shampoo smells nice. She gets to run her hands through her lengthening hair. The hot water warms her aches a bit and that helps.

She still dissociates through the whole shower.

When she gets out of the shower, the ladder has vanished and Sojiro is just coming back down from putting the jerry cans in the attic.

"I left the shop unlocked this time. We'll figure something better out later. Just lock the door behind you when you get in."

"Alright. See you tomorrow, I guess."

She bows again out of long-ingrained habit.

"See you tomorrow."

The walk back is quiet. 

She lets herself back into the store and locks up. 

Time to sleep. 

The soft notes of a piano fill her ears as she wakes. It's colder than when she went to sleep, and when she opens her eyes she's in the kind of stereotypical black-and-white striped prison garb that hasn't been used in decades. She's in a bunk in a small room.

Wait, what? 

Is she dreaming...?

She gets up. The floor feels solid, but then it usually does in dreams. 

She doesn't seem to be experiencing any of the sensory blurriness she usually associates with dreams. She can see and hear fine. The notes of the piano are crystal clear. 

She can get up just fine. There is however a chain on her ankle. And behind her is a a wall, and door, of steel bars.

There are two little girls outside the bars. One is holding a baton.

The other is holding a clipboard. They each have a golden eye, with the other covered by an eye patch. 

There's a large desk, and a bizarre old man sitting there with a cartoonishly long nose. He speaks in a deep, rich voice. It sounds as though he's trying to be warm, but it comes off a bit menacing.

"Welcome, Trickster, to my Velvet Room."

She composes herself as best she can. Scary and difficult things are never made better by panicking. 

"What's going on?"

The girl on the right speaks in a soft, calm voice. "The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream."

The other girl speaks sharply, aggressively.

"You're in the presence of our master! Stand up straight!"

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."

He drums his fingers rhythmically on the desk, grinning at Akira.

"I summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."

"A... contract?" 

She stands up as straight as she can.