"You don't eat ladylike at all."

Kiri turned her attention from her bento lunch with a large bite still in her mouth and her cheeks stuffed. Recognizing the owner of the voice, her eyes narrowed at him. She swallowed, then turned her face away with her nose in the air.

"Kotetsu."

The boy frowned and put a fist on his hips. "Kiri."

Kiri shoveled another large bite into her mouth with her chopsticks and kept herself turned away from him.

"What are you doing here?"

Kotetsu took another step forward, and then sat beside her. "I heard you were injured on a mission, so I came to see for myself."

"Hmph." Kiri swallowed the bite. "What, so you could rub it in my face?" She glanced down at her left leg, which was in a heavy cast. "I don't need you to add insult to injury, you know."

He made a face and crossed his arms. "You're just as ungrateful as ever."

She scoffed. "Ungrateful?"

"You know, it's been five years since you left our class and no one's really seen you at all since." His cheeks warmed slightly and he looked away from her. "Maybe I was just curious to see what you looked like now."

"Hmph!" Kiri stuffed her mouth with another bite. "My hair's longer now, I'm a few inches taller than you, and I'm still dark like 'burnt toast.' Nothing's really different."

Kotetsu flushed at the phrase and he glanced toward her from the corner of his eye, noticing the way her dark hair slipped from its place behind her ear and quickly looked away again.

"Yeah, you're right. Still as plain as ever."

Kiri's brows furrowed and she whipped her head towards him, elbowing him hard in the side. "Ass!"

"Ow!" He rubbed his side with a scowl. "You got even meaner."

Kiri rolled her eyes. "No, you're just a bigger baby than you were before."

"I am not!" He clenched his fist and leapt to his feet. "I'll prove it! Let's fight; right here, right now!"

Kiri's eyes darted back toward her leg, then she returned to eating once again, muttering under her breath.

"Ass."

He blushed slightly, relaxing as he scratched the back of his head. "R-Right... we're on the hospital roof... and your leg is..."

Kiri glanced up at him with her eyes narrowed. "Even with my leg like this, I could still take you out! In less than a second!"

They scowled at each other, and after a while, he sat back down beside her. After another pause, he looked at her chewing aggressively and spoke.

"So... what happened to your leg? When I went to your room to see you but you weren't there, your dad said I could find you up here, having lunch. But he wouldn't say what happened to your leg."

Kiri's chewing slowed, and then she gulped. "It kind of... got smashed."

Kotestu raised a brow. "Smashed? How?"

Kiri chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "...A sledgehammer."

His eyes widened. "W-What...?!"

Kiri rested her hand on her lap and fell quiet. Kotetsu's expression softened and he stared at the cast.

"How did...?"

Kiri sighed. "We were supposed to capture this criminal, and dad sent me as a scout ahead. I ended up being captured instead, but to stop me from fighting him or running to get dad, he swung the sledgehammer he had. I dodged it, for the most part, but it got my leg."

"That was the most pain I've ever felt..." She bit her lip. "Dad got the guy no problem, but the bone was splintered and my leg was heavily mangled." She shuddered. "It was not the right shape it should have been in..."

"That's horrible." Kotetsu gulped.

She nodded. "And then, when we get back here, they threw me into surgery. It took almost a whole day, and now I've got screws and pins and everything in my leg to try to keep the bone together."

"I'm sorry." He glanced downward.

"The doctor said that he's not even sure if I'll ever be able to walk on it again." Kiri whispered quietly and pressed her lips together as her eyes moistened. "They want to see how it heals the next week or two and decide then if it will even be a waste of time to send me to rehabilitation."

Kotetsu's eyes widened and he stared at her. "W-What? But... that..." He closed his mouth and shut it tightly. "...I'm sorry."

Kiri sighed heavily and stared out across the rooftop to the village beyond the chain-length fence around the roof's edge.

"It is what it is, I guess. Being a Ninja comes with a lot of risks."

"Yeah..." He went quiet and looked down at his feet. "I... I should go."

Kiri stayed quiet, remaining still as he stood and took a few steps away.

"Kotetsu."

He stopped and turned to look at her. "Huh?"

Her cheeks warmed and she kept her face turned away from him. "...I'm not hungry anymore and I don't want mom's cooking to go to waste- especially not when she took the time to make me a nice lunch while I'm in the hospital." She held up her Bento lunch, holding it out to him. "You should eat it."

He blinked quickly and studied her expression, then blushed slightly himself. He opened his mouth to refuse, but his stomach growled loudly.

"O-Okay..." He sat again, taking the lunch from her and scooping a small bite into his mouth. "Mm!" He swallowed it quickly and looked at her. "This is great! Are you sure you don't want it?"

Keeping her face turned away, she quickly shook her head. "It's fine. Just eat it."

He eagerly took a second, much larger bite, and continued to shovel bite after bite into his mouth until he was finished. He patted his stomach and leaned back with a contented sigh.

"Oh, that really hit the spot." Kotetsu watched Kiri as she sat quietly, only looking into the distance. He sighed and looked out over the village with her.

"You know... the Graduation ceremony for us is tomorrow... after that, I'll have more free time. I could..." He scratched his cheek. "Well, maybe I'll come sit on the sidelines during your rehab. So that you're reminded to heal fast so that we can have a real rematch. We never got to settle things after you almost lightning'd my face."

Kiri's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened.

"Hmph. As if fighting you would ever be much of a challenge anyway." The corner of her mouth twitched in a smile and she stole a quick glance from him from the corner of her eye. "But... it'll still be fun to make you piss yourself again."

"Uh... excuse me?" The vendor cleared his throat.

Kiri blinked and her eyes refocused, and she laughed and looked at the man. "Oh, sorry. Zoned out there." She dug out her wallet, then passed over the money. Once it was counted and stored in the register, the man passed her over the bag of takeout.

"Here you go."

"Thanks." Kiri waved and turned to begin walking back toward the hospital as her eyes wandered up to its roof momentarily. As she approached the entrance, she let out a small sigh. "I always did hate the hospital..."

She took the stairs up and quietly walked into Sena's room. She stepped closer to smile faintly at Sena's deeply sleeping form as the monitors beeped and the IV dripped.

"Hey there." Kiri placed a hand on Sena's gently. "How are you feeling today?" After a moment, she frowned slightly. "You need to get better already, okay? Everyone's worried."

She reached into one of the bags she carried and held up a small stuffed earthworm, then waved it with a smile.

"Look at what I found, Sena!" Kiri laughed to herself and looked at it. "I thought it was so cute with its tiny little mustache and eyebrows. And, since you love gardening so much, it seemed really fitting."

Kiri glanced down at Sena again and placed the stuffed animal in her arms.

"I've named him Sir Doro for now, since he's a worm and they live in the ground. But you can rename him if you want to, once you wake up." Kiri's smile faltered as the machine's beeping was the only response. She sighed softly and looked away.

"Please wake up soon." She whispered. "I feel like I've aged ten years from worrying. So, get better, dammit."

Kiri bit her lip, then stood quickly and walked out, glancing back at the hospital bed briefly before she closed the door behind her.

"And now, to Red's room." She muttered under her breath and started down the hall, bumping into someone.

Kotetstu blinked at first and then laughed. "Hey."

Kiri made a face and put her hand on her hip. "Oh. It's just you."

Kotetsu frowned momentarily and then glanced toward the closest door. "How is she?"

Kiri pressed her lips together, her eyes darting back toward the door. "No change."

Kotetsu's expression shifted slightly. "...And Natsumi?"

Kiri shrugged and her eyes wandered down the hall before moving back to him. "She's awake now."

"Really?" He let out a small breath. "That's a relief. After seeing her in that condition, it's great to have good news."

Kiri nodded. "Yeah. She's a fighter, though."

"Just like I said." Kotetsu grinned, and Kiri shot him a look. He shrugged. "What? I did."

Kiri rolled her eyes and looked at the steaming cups of steaming drinks in his hands. "So... why're you here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What? A guy can't just come to find out if there's been any improvement?"

"Oh, sure. Just not you." Kiri laughed to herself and he scoffed.

"Hey! I am a nice guy who does nice things!" Kotestsu furrowed his brows. "You just seem to be blind to that fact."

Kiri laughed again. "If you say so."

Kotetsu looked at the bags in her hand. "Get yourself some lunch?"

Kiri glanced down at the takeout. "Huh?" She shook her head. "Nah, this is for Natsumi. I promised that I'd bring her something good."

He looked down the hall and pointed carefully at Natsumi's door. "Looks like someone beat you to it."

Kiri turned and a broad smile formed as she recognized the noisy group that carried steaming boxes of pizza with them. "Damn. Looks like they did beat me to it." Raising a hand to wave, she called out to them. "Hey! Ahmya!"

The woman grinned at her Kiri and waved back before following the others into the room, and Kiri sighed and shook her head.

"Well, I guess this is gonna go to waste now." She frowned slightly and looked down at her own bag.

"You eat it." Kotetsu suggested. "You've lost weight, you know. You should eat it."

Kiri looked between him and the food before nodding. "Oh, fine. I'm starving anyway. I can't turn down a hot meal."

Kotetsu smiled sheepishly and averted his eyes as he held out one of the cups. "I... uh... I actually brought this one for you."

"O-Oh?" She glanced away before quickly taking the cup. "Thanks, I guess." She eyed it skeptically. "...You didn't spit in it, did you?"

Kotetsu let out a heavy breath. "I would never."

"Right." Kiri took a cautious sip, and then let out a contented sigh. "Oh... That hits the spot."

"You're so weird." He chuckled to himself. "You're the only one I've met who drinks hot chocolate outside of winter."

Kiri scoffed and turned to begin walking up the stairs. "That's because everyone else is uncivilized. Hot chocolate warms you up on the inside and makes you feel happy and warm. Why should that be limited to one season?"

"Weirdo." He muttered again, following her up the stairs.

She glanced at him sideways. "And just how exactly is it any different than anyone else drinking hot coffee daily?"

He opened his mouth and looked down at his own cup, then shut his mouth and scratched the back of his head. "Well that's... uh..." He narrowed his eyes and glanced away. "It's just different."

"Sure it is." Kiri opened the door to the roof and took in a deep breath of air as she looked around at the familiar surroundings before sitting in a familiar spot. She took out the box of food and opened it, releasing tendrils of steam and cracking the chopsticks apart to pick up a piece of barbeque and stuff it into her mouth. "Mm..."

"You still don't eat very ladylike." Kotetsu laughed to himself and sat beside her, leaning back with his palms supporting his weight.

"And you're still an ass." Kiri shrugged with a short laugh and took another bite as she looked out over the rooftops as a silence fell between them.

"Been a long time since I was last up here." Kotetsu looked around. "It doesn't even feel much different."

Kiri nodded slowly to herself. "In some ways." She shrugged and took another bite. "In other ways, it was better back then."

He watched her from the corner of his eye.

"Mom was still around to make me lunches..." Kiri muttered. "Dad was still here to put me through grueling drills before I could eat breakfast..." She swallowed and let out a soft sigh. "...And Yuuta was still alive."

Kotetsu looked away as she went quiet. After a moment, the corners of his mouth twitched upward. "Well, at least your leg isn't broken this time."

Kiri blinked and then laughed. "Yeah... There is that." She took another bite. "A lot of good things have happened since then, though. Meeting Sena and Natsumi, for one." She glanced down at herself and laughed again. "Getting my boobs was pretty great, too."

Kotetsu sputtered as he drank his coffee as his face reddened. "Y-You really don't have a filter, do you?!"

She smirked and looked at him. "Nope. If you don't like it or can't handle it, maybe you should have considered it before coming here."

Her expression faded and she turned away.

"You know... I couldn't even bring myself to go to their funerals." She admitted under her breath. "How pathetic is that?" She shook her head. "I've never once even been to their graves, either. They must be so disappointed in me, wherever they are..."

Kotetsu sipped from his cup quietly as she talked.

"...Sometimes I still sneak into Yuuta's old room and lay on his bed when I can't sleep. The blankets still hold on to his scent, and it makes me forget that he's gone for just a little while."

"You always were really close to him." He finally spoke up.

"Yeah..." Kiri chewed and nodded. "He was the first one here who really made me feel wanted instead of like a waste of space. He never turned his back on me and he always understood me. I was such a pain in the ass, and he never once held it against me."

"Well, you're still a pain." Kotetsu smirked faintly and shrugged. "That hasn't changed."

Kiri elbowed him in the side. "Big talk coming from someone who got the short end of the stick from puberty."

His mouth gaped at her. "W-What?! How can you even say that? I went from a scrawny kid with messy hair to this incredibly handsome guy! You're the one who still looks almost the same."

"You're still pretty scrawny." Kiri looked him up and down from the corner of her eye. "And your hair is even more of a mess than before."

Kotetsu frowned and patted his spiky hair. "...Alright, that last part's fair." He looked back at her. "You know, this is why you're single. Guys don't like to be ridiculed for their appearance."

Kiri laughed. "Says the guy who hasn't had a girlfriend since he was twelve! You have no room to talk there." She shook her head and pointed the chopsticks at him. "And, the reason I'm still single is because men are intimidated to be seen with a woman taller than them or equal in height. It hurts your fragile little egos."

"It's not about pride." He crossed his arms, then scratched his cheek. "Although... it does feel a little awkward to have to look up to a woman."

Kiri scoffed under her breath and took a long gulp of hot chocolate. "Like I said. Fragile little egos." She rolled her eyes. "And, I'm only six centimeters taller than you, the average height guy. It's not that big of a difference."

"Typical of you to blame men." He chuckled. "You're just as picky, if not more— especially about height."

Kiri made a face. "Fine. It is nicer to actually look up to someone." She shoveled a bite into her mouth and chewed. "But that's human nature. Woman naturally look for men who seem better suited to protect them. It's not my fault if most men are puny."

"Of course it's not." He rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. After a pause, he looked at her. "So, Natsumi's awake now?"

Kiri nodded.

"How is she doing?"

Kiri shrugged. "In decent spirts, although I think she's having some trouble processing everything that's happened and how much time has passed."

He nodded slowly. "I know whatever happened, you can't talk about... but it must have been pretty bad."

Kiri bit her lip and swallowed. "Honestly, I think we were damn lucky just to get out of there alive. I keep replaying it over and over again in my mind and I still can't believe that we didn't all die there. I'm sure Natsumi is doing the same." She let out a sigh and looked out beyond the fence. "I remember the first time I had a near-death encounter when I was her age... it's not easy. Kids that age don't usually have to face anything so bad, but when they do..." She shook her head slowly. "I've been trying to not leave her alone for long so that she doesn't have a lot of time for her mind to wander. I remember how I was, and I don't want her to get that way."

"How you were?" He raised a brow and looked at her.

Kiri forced a faint smile and shrugged. "Doesn't matter." She shrugged again. "Having my family there was what helped me, but Natsumi only has Naruto."

"And he's not supposed to get back for another few weeks..." Kotetsu nodded and scratched his cheek. "I understand."

Kiri let out a deep sigh and set the remainder of the food aside. "I just feel... helpless. And I hate that feeling. This whole situation is out of my control."

Kotetsu put a hand on her shoulder. "Everything's going to be alright, you know. I have a good feeling."

"Thanks."

She leaned closer to rest her head on his shoulder, and his face flushed a deep red. He cleared his throat quietly, awkwardly resting his arm just behind him.

"You know, I feel a little bad in hindsight being such an ass to you as a kid."

Still red, Kotetsu glanced away for a moment. "Are you... apologizing? For all those pranks and the times you teased me?"

Kiri laughed quietly under her breath and shook her head as she leaned against him. "Oh, hell no. You guys were dicks to me. You know you deserved every ass beating."

Kotetsu chuckled and scratched his head. "I-I guess we did."

"Still, I think I'm the one who took it too far a few times." Kiri let out a breath and closed her eyes. "No matter what, you've always been a great friend and you've been there when everything was shit."

He blinked and looked down at her. "Y-You consider me a friend?"

She glanced up at him. "Yeah, of course. What else would you be?"

He looked away and rubbed the back of his head. "R-Right."

"Besides, it's normal for friends to give each other shit. If we weren't friends, that'd just make us assholes." Kiri laughed to herself and laid her head back down on his shoulder as an awkward quietness settled between them.

"Thanks, Kotetsu." Kiri muttered. "For listening to my ranting and putting up with me for all these years."

"Anytime." He smiled faintly and blushed more deeply. "Kiri... I... uh..."

The roof's door burst open and Kiri sat upright quietly.

"Aito?"

Aito held onto the doorframe with his face pale. "Kiri! Come quickly! Something's wrong with Natsumi!"

Kiri's eyes widened and she leapt to her feet. "What?! What's happening?!"

"I don't know, but you should see for yourself."

He rushed back down the stairs with Kiri following closely behind as Kotetsu exhaled slowly, left behind, and ran his fingers through his hair.