"I'll help Shiho get Ann in the car."

Akira hoists Ann up as carefully as she can, and goes to get the back car door. She's not doing anything wrong, so the best thing to do is just to act confident and natural.

Shiho helps get Ann situated into the back of the cab with Akira, then sits on one side of her.

Ryuji sits up front and gives the driver Ann's address.

"She okay?"

"Yeah, just exhausted from practice. Coach really drives his students hard." Akira lets a little of her worry bleed through in her voice. "We're getting her home so she can rest up properly."

"You're good friends," he replies, and sets off.

Akira relaxes just a little. 

It's going to be a hassle getting Ann into her place and into bed, but the rest should be relatively easy. And there is at least very little chance of Kamoshida.

Kamoshida is definitely not in the cab with them. He's probably busy being disappointed in his office.

Shiho quietly holds Ann's hand, just to reassure herself that she's still there.

It's not exactly a short ride, but twenty minutes later, they're pulling to a stop outside a nice-looking apartment building.

Ryuji pays the cabbie.

Akira helps the insensate Ann out of the car.

"Ryuji, you know which apartment is Ann's?"

He nods.

"We both do. And I know where she keeps the spare key."

She reaches behind the mailboxes and pulls out a little lockbox on a chain, quickly entering a combination and pulling out a keyring with two keys on it.

"Great. Let's get her inside and into bed."

It's such a fucking rush. They've won. Maybe they have to do some awkward explaining to Ann's parents but that's nothing at this point.

Ryuji helps carry Ann inside to the elevator.

"Hopefully it's not the one week a term when her parents are home tonight."

Shiho hits the button. "Shouldn't be. They're always traveling."

"We can explain if we have to. The important thing is that everyone's safe."

And then they're out on Ann's floor. Shiho leads the way to the apartment door and unlocks it. 

It's expansive, fancy, and most of all empty. The rooms they can see are well-furnished, but they don't really look lived in at all.

Now that's a look that Akira's used to. 

She helps Ann in and tries to get her to her bedroom.

Ann's bedroom is the only lived-in room in the apartment. One wall features a poster of Ivy from Dissidia, in her full domme outfit. A bookcase rests on one wall with a shelf full of manga, including a series called "The Wallflower". Two photos sit in frames on her desk, in easy view of her computer: one of Ann, Shiho, and Ryuji all together, and one of Shiho and Ann. Her bed has simple red linen sheets, and two big fake food plushies on it next to the pillows: a dumpling and a sushi roll.

Shiho steps in and pulls the sheets down for Akira and Ryuji to set Ann into bed, then helps pull her shoes off once she's down.

There she goes. All settled.

What a day. It's really just been a whole series of "what a day" ever since she came to Shujin Academy.

Akira exhales and takes a moment to breathe. 

"... Alright," she says. "You wanted an explanation, Shiho?"

She nods. "You were talking about magic."