"Sorry, Satoshi. I'm meeting Gendo for a n... lunch." Yui smiled a bit too widely to just be talking about lunch.

"Sounds like you and Rokubungi are pretty serious," her co-worker commented.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"I might also say a little more than serious." He gave her a friendly smile.

Yui returned it. "You could say that too."

"Just send me an invitation," he said, then walked off to get his own lunch.

Professor Kozo Fuyutsuki shook his head slightly. A ridiculous idea, but one that seemed... inevitable. That didn't change his opinion of Yui though, or of Rokubungi.

He supposed she would just have to learn the hard way about men like that; then he would be there to console her when it all fell apart.

The phone rang, jarring him from his contemplation. He looked back to see that Yui was already gone, then picked up the phone. "Yes? Yes, put her through."

While listening with half an ear, he looked at the stack of paper on his desk. So much work still to be done.

"Yes, yes, Doctor. I've seen them, and I must admit that they're quite... ambitious. Funding for something like that..." No matter how glorious the end product would be, money would be hard to find without definite end results.

"You've done what? Doctor, that was highly..." Fuyutsuki paused, and irritated look crossing his face. "I understand the way funding works as well as anyone, but to use our data and demonstrate it... That's..."

Releasing an annoyed sigh, Kozo shook his head. "If you knew it was insecure, why did you do it?"

He knew that she couldn't be trusted, but she was also necessary, and that meant putting up with her stunts and playing damage control.

And calling her "Doctor". "Doctor Akagi, even if you did procure funding, I don't approve. People just wouldn't understand what it is..."

Just agree. Just keep agreeing to get her off the phone. "Very well. Just as long as you realize my objections."

Without another word, he hung up the phone, glad to not have to speak to the woman any longer.

The people he needed were so difficult to work with, and the ones he wanted were... out of reach.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the papers on his desk.

"I'm going to the doctor next week."

"No sooner?"

"I had to fit it in on one of my days off."

"Maybe we should hold off until then."

Yui looked absolutely horrified at the suggestion. "No!"

"It was just a suggestion."

She frowned in response, but not at Gendo. "What would you do if... an accident did happen?"

"You're not..."

"No, but I'm curious."

There was no point in telling her something just to make her feel better. "I'd... marry you, get a job and help raise it."

"Don't say it just because you think that's what I want to hear. I want the truth."

"I just gave it to you. I am... aware," he continued slowly, "of personal responsibility. I won't run from it."

"But would you really want all that? With me?"

"With you? Definitely."