[ He feigns wanting to shrug you off -- but his hand comes up and catches yours to keep it in place. You're the only one who knows, barring Makoto, but that was expected given that he was joined to Josh's brain at the time. ]

It will. [ He smiles at Yulia. ] Just don't blow my cover until I actually get around to it.

[ It's half-joked, half-meant -- and largely because there's a pretty huge possibility that Hikaru won't see it coming. Before this year, to say that things were bad was a massive understatement. That's his fault, he knows.

But things have been good for them; him and Hikaru. They were finally back on level ground where it concerned their relationship. ]

It's time. [ He breathes. ] Within the year, and no amount of crazy will get in the way of it this time around.