Nanako wakes up in Rei's apartment and Rei tells her that she will talk to Fukiko. While Nanako is worried, Rei is confident. What she says shocks Fukiko to her core. The response of Rei's body makes Fukiko worried about what will happen to her beloved sister. She remains concerned about her behavior and falsely blames Nanako for everything that's going on with Rei, instead of taking responsibility for the years of pain she caused Rei...
Nanako yawned as the morning sun came across her face. The apartment's window shade had been left open, letting in the light, and allowing people see inside. She had been so entranced with Rei that she had forgotten to close it. She decided to open the window, with the smell of the ashtrays and cigarette, which filled the apartment, whisked away by the warm morning breeze. As she got up, she walked to the fridge. Inside was some food she had brought there the last time she'd visited. Nothing new had been added, making her a bit worried. There were, luckily, some pans for cooking available, so she easily she prepared something to eat.
Rei opened her eyes. Nanako wasn't there. She suddenly saw a little grey creature looking at her from the other side of the bed. She waved back at him. It was bizarre. She rubbed her eyes and when she opened them again, the little person had disappeared. She wasn't sure what that was all about. What Marshall had not told her was that the side effects of the mushroom were still unknown. Whether they consumed your life force or not, how the mushroom affected you hadn't been fully tested. It depended on your mental health, genetics, or other factors, with the weird little creatures beginning as hallucinations. She put all that aside as she smelled food from the kitchen.
She got out of bed. Walking into the kitchen, she found two plates on the table. It had been cleared of everything that had been on it and looked cleaner than she would ever made it. Both plates had a yellow and fluffy substance on them. Before she could guess what it was, Nanako proudly announced it. "I made us some scrambled eggs...and did some cleaning...I hope that's okay." Rei nodded. She was fine with that. Eating a meal with a woman she loved was something she enjoyed, especially with everything that happened the previous day.
As they ate their food together, Rei thought about a lot of things in her life. Should she go cold turkey and stop her smoking, and use of painkillers, just like that? Surely that would make Nanako happy. But, was she ready for that? Perhaps if Nanako helped it, it could work? She hoped it would. She had to reconsider her relationship with Fukiko. Almost dying made her rethink it all. Was it really right for her sister to treat her that way? She had seen Fukiko as pure, refined, and almost noble person. She had been drawn to all of that, romantically and physically. At the same time, she had been terrified of her.
"I'm going to talk to Fukiko today," Rei began. Nanako did not know what to think. She had seen Rei as someone easily manipulated by Fukiko. However, she had also seen Rei stand up to Fukiko, at times, even going against her when it came to the sorority's abolition, which she had not expected. What she didn't know was that Rei had sent roses, with an attached message, to Fukiko the day before.
"I want to support you, Rei-sama. You can't go alone...you know how Fukiko-sama can be," Nanako began. Rei smiled. She knew she had to change. She had to be better. She could promise Nanako that, at least.
"I don't want to be a bad lover for you...I want to be someone you can rely on." This made Nanako glad, even as she was still grimaced at how much power Fukiko had over her. She came closer and smelled her skin. It still had an aroma of cleanliness, perhaps from the soap she used, even though it did not have the cologne she was used to. This was no surprise. They had slept together, although they didn't go any further than intensely kissing one another. They weren't at the stage, yet, to take the next step. However, she knew that was coming. She wanted them to go one step at a time and not move too fast. Even so, she would be there for Rei, no matter what.
Putting her plate in the sink, Rei happily went to the bathroom, and sprayed cologne, which men would use, across her body. She wanted to have an overpowering and musky smell. She continued to get ready, finding her best outfit to wear, something what would make her stand out the most. Nanako watched all of this, from the bathroom door, in utter bliss. She was glad that Rei had enjoyed the food she had made. She felt the same way when she made chicken soup for her. In what seemed like no time at all, Rei was ready. She was starting to realize that ending one's life wasn't the purest form of love, as she thought her mother had shown her. Perhaps Nanako had begun to rub off on her.
Nanako would be emotionally devastated if Rei died. She found such a prospect frightening and disturbing. She couldn't even think about it. She never thought that she was a burden to Rei. Their connection was more than just some sweet illusion. It was something real. Rei was slowly coming to the realization that she shouldn't treat her life so carelessly. Nanako surely didn't. Neither of them would ever make each other miserable.
As luck would have it, Fukiko was out on a stroll, after leaving her family manor. She was not in her house. She wanted to take a breather as she thought about the note Rei had sent her. Just then, she looked up. Rei was standing in front of her, along with that girl Nanako. She had tried everything to get Nanako away from her precious Rei. She wouldn't let anyone else have her.
"We need to talk." Her forthrightness caught Fukiko off guard. She hadn't been expecting that. What was Rei up to? What was she planning? She had to retake control, she had to...
At that very moment, Rei rolled up her sleeve and took off the golden bracelet. She dramatically threw it onto the ground. Fukiko was flabbergasted. Wasn't that something she gave her to cover up her scar? To show their connection to her? Rei came closer to Fukiko, who was becoming even more disconcerted by how Rei was acting. Why was she being like this?
"Rei, you mean everything to me and you must love me only...forget that other girl...leave her behind," she began. Rei shook her head. She couldn't let this pass. She had enough of the manipulation. She tried to remain strong.
"I won't let you push me around anymore, Fukiko!" she yelled, with her voice so loud that anyone else nearby could hear her. Even Nanako, who had stepped away, could hear every word. She hoped their conversation was going well. Fukiko tried to maintain her composure. Rei continued, adding a line that shook Fukiko to her core.
"Sister, what had wasn't healthy. I care deeply about you. I can't have you telling me what to think...you are my flesh and blood, and you are mine...we are connected by blood...we must..."
She began to trail off. Suddenly she fell to the ground and looked up in a daze. Fukiko, at first, thought this was just part of her act. She quickly realized something was seriously wrong. What was happening to her beloved sister?
Rei looked around and saw the little grey creatures everywhere around her. She began trembling, twitching, and having slight convulsions. The green grass touched her clothing, her hands, her neck, her arms, her hair, and her legs. Her limbs became numb while a huge grin went across on her face. She began hearing voices, even those of her late mother. She began to call out. It all seemed so real. She was all by herself, in her own world, and no one else was there.
Fukiko did not know what to make of this. She called out to Nanako. "Misoono-chan...come quick...something's going on with Rei!" She came running over and saw the spectacle. She was horrified. They both worked together to carry Rei back to where Fukiko lived with her brother Takashi. Luckily for them, he wasn't there, so there was less commotion, allowing them to place Rei on a bed in one of the house's spare rooms. Through it all, Rei's pupils were enlarged and her arms remained limp. She could care less about what was happening around her. Some people would call these hallucinations a mystic or religious experience. Rei wasn't that religious, so she didn't see it the same way. In any case, her body's central nervous system was affected by what she had ingested.
As Fukiko ran off to get help, Nanako reached into Rei's pocket. She grabbed the napkin with the mushrooms. She knew that if Fukiko found them, they would be destroyed. She feared that possibility. This substance, whatever it was, had brought her beloved Rei back to life, from the brink of death. She couldn't let that be taken away. As for Rei, she began swaying from side to side, laughing at inopportune times, and weirdly felt at ease. She caressed Nanako's cheek. "I'm so happy to be with you," she said, before drifting into a deep sleep.
Some time later, Fukiko came back with a doctor. Nanako told her that Rei had just started sleeping. The doctor began examining Rei right away, feeling her pulse and vital signs. "Everything is normal, ma'am," he said, and added, "just watch her and tell me if anything changes." Nanako and Fukiko agreed to keep him informed. Fukiko was inconsolable. First Rei took off the bracelet and then this. Were they connected?
Nanako decided to reveal some key information. "Fukiko-sama, Rei almost died yesterday...and we went on a date together...to a place with the most beautiful sunrise...we took down all the mirrors in her apartment...and..."
Fukiko cut her off. She didn't know what had brought all this on. Why was Rei doing all this? And why was she with Nanako of all people? Hadn't she warned her to not be with her? She started to get enraged.
"It's all your fault, Misoono-chan...you brought this on, you vixen...you are the one who..."
Nanako had to stop her from saying awful things like this. She couldn't let her keep spinning these lies. She had to tell her the truth. She wanted Fukiko to know how much Rei had been through.
She held out her hand. The blue angel mushrooms glowed under the light. "Rei-sama took one of these yesterday. She fell off a railroad bridge...and this man gave them to her...it brought her back from death." She sighed. She knew this was a lot for her to take in. Even so, Rei was her sister. She had to know.
Seeing the mushrooms there, Fukiko tried to grab them. Nanako snatched them back. She grimaced. She wouldn't be giving them over. "You aren't getting these...they saved Rei. I won't let you have them."
Fukiko, taken aback by the defiance, attempted to reassert her authority. She seen Rei as nothing more than a cocoon that had been split apart, abandoned, and filled with sorrow. She wanted Rei to feel emotions for her again, whether positive or negative. She wanted their deep connection again, to be intoxicated with her, to show off her body to her, to continue her endearing gaze. Her flowery skirt swayed from side to side, as her flowing gold hair draped on her shoulders. She would have her way, no matter what. Nanako wouldn't let that happen. It was Rei who broke the tension, muttering, in her sleep, "Fukiko, you are a bad sister. I don't like you anymore. You are mean."
This caused Fukiko to fall to the floor. She knew that Rei was only sleep-talking, but what she said cut deep, despite how simple it seemed. How could she go back to the way things were? How could they even more forward? She wasn't sure. She knew that Rei was right. She had been mean. She had been a bad sister. She had manipulated her, for her own ends, for her own selfish desires. As she sat on the floor, she began to cry, all her emotions coming out through tears streaming down her face. She stayed there for a few minutes while Nanako stood nearby. She knew how vindictive Fukiko could be, so she didn't want to lend a helping hand. Sure enough, after a few minutes, Fukiko got up, and filed out of the room. She couldn't let anyone else see her weakness. It was already bad enough that Nanako had saw her. If anyone else did...
Through it all, Nanako stayed by the bed, and put her ear against Rei's chest. She could hear Rei breathing. Sure, she had drifted to a deep sleep. Despite that, she was still in the land of the living. The weekend had begun. Rei slept through the day. Fukiko never came back into the room. She let Rei stay there, and even Nanako, despite her reservations. She knew full well that Nanako cared for her sister. However, she didn't like admitting it.