The first thing Yuno did after talking to Ray was to contact a psychologist for the first time in her life, using a number Ray had given her.
"Hello... I didn't think you'd call. But I'm very glad you did."
"Hello. I need your advice. When Ray talked about you, he said you're very good at your job."
"As you may know, I love Ray very much. And I can see that he has feelings for me too, but he's clearly avoiding it. I used to think it was because of his feelings for Lily. But after Miku came into his life, I got completely confused."
"You're not the first to come to me with this question. There are quite a few girls among the 'Devils' who have come to me with the same problem. Most of them later found partners among the others."
"They all said roughly the same thing: 'I love him so much, why doesn't he see it?'"
"But I'm not one of them. And I'm not going to back down," Yuno said.
"You misunderstand me. What I mean is that most of those who found a partner would drop everything and run to him if he so much as hinted that they had a chance."
"What you feel for him isn't exactly love. It's a strange mixture of feelings: immense respect, adoration. Many 'Devils' worship him. I wouldn't be surprised if some among you pray to him."
"I'm not going to judge you. After all, for many of you, he became a savior. Even I, a person who hasn't been in a similar situation myself, respect this man."
"For you, he's not just a person. He's a savior, the one who gave you a second chance. He's an unshakable symbol of hope. I think that among the 'Devils,' you're the only one who has seen him weak. And only because you were one of the first... and because he trusted you with his sister."
"There are several reasons why he won't let any of you get close. First — he doesn't want to destroy those he inspired to believe that this world can be made better. Second — he sees most of you as children with crippled souls and doesn't want to take advantage of your condition."
"You know that if a couple forms among the 'Devils,' they're forbidden from going out into the field. This shows that deep down, Ray hopes that despite all the horror most of you have experienced, you still have a chance at a normal life."
"But why did he choose Miku and not me? I understand what you're saying, and what you said about the other girls applies to me too. But I think it doesn't matter why we love him. What matters is that our feelings for him are sincere. And none of us would ever cheat on him," Yuno said firmly.
"Miku was a challenge for him. From what I know about her, I can assume that at the beginning of their relationship, Ray was a tool of rebellion for her. I even think he fully expected that she might leave him."
"But Ray is the kind of person who throws himself into everything wholeheartedly: if he loves — then with all his soul, if he hates — then the same."
"At some point, thanks to his care, Miku forgot why she started the relationship and truly fell in love with him. I think she's suffering the most right now."
"You can see that even though he tries to suppress his urges — largely for your sake and Deya's — deep down, he still wants to die."
"If he crosses the line with one of your sisters, and he dies, I'm almost certain you would follow him. As for Miku — he believed that she would be hurt, but she could handle it. Besides, most of your sisters prefer to work in the field. Ray is very afraid of experiencing that pain of loss again."
The words about Ray seeking death awakened one of Yuno's deepest fears. She asked:
"How do I suppress his desire to die?"
"It can't be completely suppressed. You've been through hell and managed to find a way to keep living. But what you experienced will leave its mark forever. The same thing is happening with Ray. He's searching for a reason to live, subconsciously asking himself: 'Why did I survive?' Like I said, his desire to die cannot be completely destroyed. It can only be dulled."
"How do we do that?" Yuno asked.
She had her own thoughts on the matter, but since everything the speaker had said so far sounded logical, Yuno wanted to hear her opinion.
"The truth is, he really wants you to walk away from all this and have a chance at a normal life — as much as possible."
"But the truth is also that only the fact that you and Deya need him keeps him from going off the deep end. Once he realizes you're ready to walk through life on your own, nothing will hold him back."
"Deya is growing up. The only thing that might hold him back is a child. But it was already hard for him to let a girl get close to him."
"And after becoming disabled, it will be almost impossible. After what happened to him, he's returned to how he used to be. I'm almost certain that right now, he's very scared of that feeling of helplessness he's been running from all these years."
"I don't know how you'll do it. But right now, he needs you more than ever. Even if he doesn't want to show it... you need to be there."
After this conversation, Yuno spent several days deep in thought. And finally, she made a decision.