He turns out to live in what appears to be the least-awful apartment complex in Matsudo-Shi, though that's not saying a lot. The actual apartment is well kept when they get inside, with the exception of his room. "My mom's still at work, so just c'mon in."

He starts digging in his room to find where he stashed his shotgun.

Akira comes in, then frowns as Ryuji starts to rummage through the messy room. "You remember where you put it, right?"

Suddenly he holds up a box. "Got it!"

"Oh, good." She smiles. "Let's get moving."

Back onto the train they go. 

On the way, Ryuji blushes briefly, then shakes his head.

"So, Ann been trying to get you into Dissidia?"

"I was into it before I met her, actually. I used to play it online all the time."

"Cool! Maybe we can all play together at some point when we're not busy with— um... this new game."

"Yeah, I hope so too."

She pauses. "Thinking about Ann a little there? I noticed you blushing."

He blushes again, looks away. "Nah, just realized this is the first time a girl's been over to my place since Ann an' Shiho back when we were all in middle school together."

"Oh." She'd completely missed the implication. His parents were even out, too. 

... now she's blushing.

Ryuji blushes some more.

Then manages to think of a topic. "So who's your main in Dissidia?"

"I always liked Noctus. I've always kind of liked gothy stuff. There's this english blogger who goes by "The Lady of the Manners" who I translated some pieces from about goth ettiquette. She helped me be... better at handling people."

"Noctus is pretty cool. I always loved Gallick, though. The heavy firepower combined with the speed is just way too fun," he replies with a grin. "And whatever you learned from her it sure seems to be working."

"I'm glad to hear it. Do you play with regular special speed or fast?"

No thanks to her family.

"Oh, gotta be fast."

"Same," Akira grins. "It's just more fun to drop ultimate attacks more often."

And the two teens banter their way back to the station nearest Shujin.

Akira looks around. Is Ann back yet?

Here she is, departing a train on the other side of the tracks. 

"Looks like our timing's just about perfect," she says. "I've got the stuff. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's hit it. Back to the academy."

Shujin isn't quite deserted; there are practices and such. Nonetheless, there are certainly fewer people around.

"We'll be visibly vanishing when we enter the Metaverse, so we probably shouldn't be seen doing that."