..trying to score points with you," Hisako explained with a shrug. "And I got mad about it and as a result, ruined your effort to expand your social network. I'm really sorry."

"Score points-?" I started before cutting myself. "I don't think you invited every single clan to the group meeting. I mean, yeah, it was a little annoying how you and Ino were forgetting details about the book we were talking about, but it becoming a circus wasn't your fault. At all. That's what I was mad about."

Hisako blinked. "Thanks, Daisuke..that actually made me feel better."

"I almost can't believe it turned out that way," I replied with half-closed eyes. "..did you need anything else?"

"Well, I also wanted to say sorry about," Hisako began with a frown, letting out another breath. "How much grief I gave you over your bloodline and your..difficulties. With people."

"But my bloodline and difficulties with people caused you a lot of grief," I replied with a blink. "I figured we were even."

"No, not at all," Hisako shook her head. "At first, I thought it was so unfair you could do so much impossible stuff just by existing and I hated that that much power wound up in the hands of someone who can make you feel terrible just be being around you."

"Sorry about that," I replied automatically.

"No, no. Stop, let me finish," She waved it off. "I..realized that you had a lot of problems because of your difficulties and that the power you have came at the cost of being terrible with people."

"That's putting it mildly, yes," I replied. She wasn't wrong. My power did come with a cost. I lost my life, my family, my friends, my culture, my civilization. All of that.

"And I didn't realize that," She said after a minute of holding her tongue. "So, I'm very, very sorry for being so unfair to you and I hope that I can..help you be happy in the future. Or at least just be a good friend."

"Hisako, I appreciate it," I said, trying to be diplomatic. "But being..handicapped the way I am doesn't change the fact that I hurt people. Hurt you. And I'm sorry for that. It's..part of why I'm dreading the social powerup, actually. I'm going to be able to see all the myriad ways that I caused people duress."

"Oh," Her shoulders drooped. "You shouldn't really dwell on it, you couldn't help any of that."

"I could've," I replied with a blink. "If I hadn't sacrificed my social ability for insane amounts of luck."

"You..when did you do this?" Hisako asked with a deep frown.

"I was in the orphanage," I explained. "I was only a year old when I was able to..lay out my initial set of powers. I wasn't talking to anyone that much, no one really seemed interested in talking to me, I doubted I'd ever get adopted and I didn't think charisma actually did anything. So..charisma became the dump stat and Luck was brought up nearly to max."

Hisako was blinking. "..you must've hated yourself for doing that."

"On more than one occasion, yes," I replied with a sigh. "So yes. I'm sorry."

"So, we're both sorry for stuff we did," Hisako replied. "Can we accept our apologies and move on with our lives?"

"Sure. I accept your apology," I said, shrugging.

"And I accept yours," Hisako replied with a smile. Then she gestured down to the table in the lobby. "We're still playing cards..you want to join us now?"

I blinked, and looked at her. She was still smiling, holding the gesture out to the table, her black eyes locked on mine.

"Sure," I answered. "I can play a hand or two. I guess."

Her smile got wider and I followed her down the stairs.