Makoto lays in a hospital bed resting peacefully with a blank expression. Medical equipment attached to her, an oxygen mask and IV fluid, her left leg hangs in the air by a sling as it's encased in a cast. The doctor sighs as he stands before the group of teens and the lone adult. Yamatachi's intimidating appearance makes him uneasy.
"Well!? She gonna live or not, doc?!"
And Ryuji's impatient barking made it far more difficult to speak. The doctor forces a smile on regardless.
"S-She'll make it! A mere fracture in her femur and sone minor injuries with a slight concussion! She should wake up tomorrow! The most life threatening thing was the internal damage done to her chest. Her ribs took most of the force."
Ann stares at Makoto with a queasy face.
"Are you sure, doctor...? The oxygen mask-"
"Is rather standard for these type of situations. As stated, her ribs defended her internal organs well, but her breathing became irregular. Common thing among broken ribs. She's fortunate she didn't puncture a lung!"
Shiho hugs herself staring at her upperclassman.
"I understand she'll live but..."
Her eyes move to the now eerily silent delinquent. His lips quiver and hands shake, eyes to the floor with frustrated red cheeks, but now utterly quiet. The doctor gives reassurance with a laugh.
"I understand the concern but let's all not get too gloomy! This accident could have done far worse to her. Some people did lose their lives on that intersection."
Yamatachi scoffs and nods the doctor to the door.
"Yeah. Sure. Tell me how much this was and leave us alone will you?"
"It shouldn't be too expensive sir-"
"Give me the price and get the hell out."
The two exchange a short glare until the doctor approaches with his clipboard. The middle aged man nods upon looking the bill. He takes out a check and writes down the amount before giving it to the doctor. Mishima glances to Yamatachi as the doctor leaves looking dumbfounded at the check.
"Are you her father?"
"No. I'm Ryuji's tutor. Why are you asking me that?"
"Y-You paid for the hospital bill and everything! C-Can you really spend that much money on someone else?!"
Ann turns around playing with her hair.
"Yeah... You had an expensive car too. Are you some kind of mafia boss?"
Yamatachi shakes his head sighing.
"Do I really look like that? I've got the money to burn so why not spend it on her?"
Shiho stares at the adult before her gaze slowly shifts back to Ryuji. The young man has since made his way to Makoto's bedside to hold her hand.
"I never knew they were close. I wonder if Sakamoto-kun will be okay..."
Yamatachi scratches his head.
"They're a complicated duo but... They'll take care of themselves. Ryuji is someone I have to take watch out for though. He and I are got work to do. Family matters and all."
Ann nods coming to her own conclusion.
"That's what I heard about in school... Family emergency and all that. But how does that involve Niijima-senpai?"
"She's a friend of the family. It's complicated... Hey, I'll take you kids home. You don't exactly have a place here and he needs time alone."
"We don't exactly know you..."
"Suit yourself."
Yamatachi begins to take his leave until the three students follow him in a sheepish manner. He glances back at his student.
"Yo, Ryuji. Don't think this is your fault."
Ryuji doesn't respond. As The group leaves the two behind, Mishima notices two police officers outside one room, stone faces with a dangerous air as they pass them.
"W-Why are there officers here?"
"You don't know? That bear masked guy is in there."
Ann's eyes fly wide as she looks between Yamatachi and the officers numerous times.
"W-Wh-What!? Why here?! Shouldn't he be in some prison hospital?"
"You think I know? If it bothers you pick up the pace already instead of gawking so much."
Yamatachi grimaces at the officers. Things are moving too fast for his liking. He still has a lot to teach his pupil but Makoto has unintentionally halted any progress. All he can do is wait for tomorrow and hope Ryuji is willing to continue.
The evening hour arrives. Makoto blinks as her consciousness fades in. Blurry vision as a murky silhouette hovers over her. A surgical mask hides their face. They mumble something to her she can't quite hear. A masked surgeon flicks a needle full of a mysterious liquid inside the syringe is held up in his hand.
"Please forgive me."
He holds the needle to the IV packet.
"It won't hurt when you go-!?"
He leans back from his legs giving way. Stumbling as a hand strikes his wrist to force the needle from his grasp. He's thrown to the ground but deftly recovers.
"Interesting... You stayed hidden in the hospital after all. We were waiting for you to leave. How did you manage to stay hidden?"
Ryuji rolls his head along his neck with tear stained scowl at his rival.
"I was hiding behind the curtains after hours. This hospital is pretty damn cheap, what with cameras in every room but this one, I thought it was all too convenient."
"Indeed... It has fallen from grace. That could not be all that gave you such an idea, is it?"
"It was the doctor too. I read his name tag silently. He's the asshole who hired you. Takamata, right? This whole hospital is run by you assholes... So why?"
Ryuji throws a hand to the side gesturing to Makoto with a loud cry.
"Why are you trying to kill her instead of me, you brain dead shits!?"
"It's only a guess. Or it was."
Takamata stands straight returning the harsh shout with a soft hiss.
"Civillains who know about our game, this secret society, either join the ranks or die. Makoto Niijima has only recently shown any form of interest into you."
He tilts his head up and pulls his mask just above his face. At the angle Ryuji looks from, his opponent's visage is obscured still, but he can clearly see the scalpel blades fall from the mask and into the doctor's hand.
"However it was she who carried you away from Kuma, who accompanied you in Shujin Academy, and she who saved you from Kun Woo Li's assassination attempt. His street thugs have failed time and time again going after you."
"So you're the one that's gonna do me in?!"
Takamata adjusts his mask with his now free hand before reaching into his white coat. A serrated machete comes out with a gleaming sheen in the dim glow of fluorescent lamps in the room.
"Tell me. If killing you would mean she lives, would you die for her, or not."
"What kind of question is that!?"
"With your death I'll have no need to take her life away. So,for her sake, would you kindly die for me?"
Ryuji strafes to the side as Takamata throws his handful of scalpel blades. He advances on Ryuji with a lunge, swinging horizontally in a diagonal curve using the blunt edge, baiting Ryuji into dodging into the true attack. A flash of a swing too close and fast for Ryuji to dodge, forcing him to block, the blonde screams as the mad doctor turns the blade to face the serrated edge that tears into his flesh.
"A-Aaaaiiiie!"
Makoto stirs further sitting up from her bed. Groaning as she looks in the direction of the scream.
"S... Sa... Sakamoto...? S-Sakamoto!"
"Stay Back!"
Ryuji holds his left arm growling in pain. Takamata's eyes widen with a calculated glint as he swings the blade for his target's neck.
"Now for your head."
The terrible surgeon gasps as Ryuji punches the blade with an uppercut on it's side. The weapon breaks causing Takamata to stumble before spinning back from a two-handed back hand.
"M-My blade...! You gambled with how thin it was and tried to send it back! To do something so reckless...! Astounding!"
"There's more where that came from... A-Agh!"
Ryuji grabs the hand he struck Takamata with. He finds it bleeding profusely, as if a wild animal has chewed on it, only to look at the chuckling Takamata. The doctor's mask has scalpel blades sticking out of his mask, held in place by his teeth from under it. He spits them out and pulls out another handful of blades.
"I'm quite old. Approaching sixty. I'm fragile compared to the others. I fight using death by a thousand cuts. My occupation and experience leads me to striking all the right places. Even if it doesn't hurt, you will bleed, and that is my goal."
Ryuji tilts his head confused until blood began to wash over his eyes. He wipes it away but it only continues to pour.
"W-When did you-?! Agh! Dammit!"
Makoto steps out of bed as he skin pales. She saw it happen from the start. Takamata's first volley of blades grazed Ryuji's brow. The right kind of cut to make him bleed. Before Ryuji has anytime to recover, Takamata strikes, swiftly grasping the blades on the ground to slice away at the teenager's body, all Ryuji can do is do his best to block his most vital areas. His hands suffer in place of his throat, his chest and ribs barely fend off the assault as they protect his lungs and heart, even his pants are torn to shreds as Takamata tears into him swing by swing.
"You are exceptional at learning. Your musculature is rather well defined. If you were the same as before on that night, you would be dead. Who's training you."
"... Maybe, I'm just that good?"
"You can barely stand. With this-!"
Takamata kicks Ryuji's leg. The delinquent falls to a knee with his hands on the ground to keep him from falling completely. The doctor drops his blades in his grasp to take out a spare short sword.
"I'll give you a swift and painless decapitation... You have... Such a vast potential. I am sad to kill you."
Ryuji glares up at him exhausted. Body and strength failing him as he begins to feel cold. Weak. He could see the dull frown behind the holes of the medical mask.
"... You'll let her live if you kill me, right?"
"Hm?"
"You asked earlier if I would be okay dying if it meant she lived... If I can't win, I got no choice, so it's all I can do... Take me in her place."
Takamata has no words. Only silent admiration. The youthful pride and nobility in such a lowly school delinquent made him smile at the irony. He gives an earnest nod. Then, Takamata jolts, dropping the weapon as he stumbles away from Ryuji. The lethal injection in his arm. Makoto falls to Ryuji's side panting, trying to pull him up to his feet, tears form in her eyes.
"Get up! Come on, get up, don't pass out now...! Don't die now!"
"You...?! You used... My own poison... Against me!? That's... Truly ironic."
Takamata falls onto the ground as a lifeless being. Ryuji barely pushes himself up off the ground, and with Makoto's aid, both stand on their feet.
"... You think he's dead?"
"I don't know... Ah! He's moving!"
"And he said he wasn't tough..."
Takamata turns his head to the young duo. Scoffing as his eyelids lower to a close.
"It is a lethal toxicant... I may die in time... Same as what would have happened to Makoto Niijima... How careless of me... To not... Retrieve it..."
Takamata passes out with a final breath. Ryuji lets out a sigh of relief before trying to stand on his own.
"You saved me again, Makoto. Guess I owe you. Whoa!"
He immediately falters and has to lean onto Makoto again. A sheepish expression as he looks away from her.
"I-I... I can't walk on my own... Sorry."
"You saved me from being killed in my sleep. I think this makes us even."
"Shouldn't you be in bed though? You're gonna reopen your wounds if you keep moving around."
"You can't tell me that when you're bleeding out like a stuffed pig! Besides... Someone like him was here the whole time in the hospital. This is the last place either of us need to be."
"Yeah... Kuma is here too. I'll call Teach to come pick us up. There should be stuff like gauze and bandages, right?"
Makoto finds the necessary items to patch up her friend. She grumbles under her breath as she stitches the cuts on his arm with amateur skill. Ryuji squirms in annoyance.
"Ow! Ouch! D-Dammit girl, you did this before, didn't you?"
"Only a few times! I'm not exactly a certified nurse! Yamatachi only taught me so much..."
"Wait so he did my stitches before? Damn... Ow! B-Be a little more careful, Makoto!"
"Shush! Before you wake up the patients around here. Here's some medicine for the pain."
She finishes and they make it to the first floor hallway using the elevators. Ryuji takes his phone out and smiles As his teacher answers.
[ "Yo. Where have you been asshole? I've had to babysit your classmates this whole time." ]
"Had some unfinished business. Can you come pick me up from the hospital? I'm bleeding out and none of the staff are here to help."
There's a short exchange before he hangs up as they enter the lobby, their faint hopeful smiles turn to grimaced scowls, for Ryuji finds a familiar face. Kun Woo Li rolls his shoulders before entering a kickboxer's stance.
"Now, that you're here with her, you've saved me the trouble of killing you both. I told you last time it wasn't personal. This time? You're going to get put in your place..."
Makoto eyes Ryuji cautiously and full of concern as he limps off of her to meet his foe.
"Funny. I was gonna say the same thing."
"Sakamoto..."
Kun Woo Li and Ryuji meet at the center of the lobby. The older fighter sends a jab for his target's throat. The delinquent swiftly leans to the side with a step forward, a counter uppercut against the Korean's chin sends his head tilting skyward, then wheezes as his thrown fist had been seized and used to pull him into a knee to the gut. Before he can recover from doubling over, Ryuji pulls him by his hair with a snarl, and slams his knee into Kun Woo Li's face repeatedly. Ryuji finishes by holding him up and sending the would-be-assassin off his feet with a crippling punch.
"U-Ughf! How-?! H-How did he learn so fight so fast?! He should be slow from all the blood loss!"
Kun Woo Li grunts as he lands on his back and scrambles back before standing to his feet. Back against the wall as Ryuji slowly advances.
"I was just fighting to stay alive... Then I learned just how fucking disgusting you guys are. How far you're willing to go for such a small problem."
Kun Woo Li tumbles across the ground holding his nose. It is bending in a crooked awkward fashion running with blood.
"How you guys are trying to force Haru into a marriage with a fucking sewer rat of a man. How you send street thugs after my life so I have to leave school to keep them going after students. How you run over my goddamn friend!"
Ryuji starts to kick his foe while he's down. Stomping down on his body and progressively wearing his pitiful defense down. The raised arms and curled legs begin to weaken under the abusive pressure of the enraged teenager.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS KIND OF SHIT?! HUH!? YOU THINK YOU'RE ABOVE THE LAW! NEWSFLASH ASSHOLE! YOU'RE THE DIRT UNDER MY HEEL!"
Kun Woo Li couldn't believe his luck. He assumed that Makoto's injury would leave him in a state of panic and dread. That he'd be too overwrought to fight with a broken heart. Instead, his mind has snapped, leaving him under the unending fury of a mad man with boundless stamina. Few times he's ever believed he would die, fewer where he feared it, this moment is of those truly rare times.
"I WON'T! STOP! KICKING! YOUR! ASS! UNTIL YOU'RE A GREASY STAIN ON THE TILE FLOOR!"
"S-Someone... Anybody...! Help!"
The Korean man begs in a hoarse voice between breaths. Ryuji on the other hand can't hear him anymore. He can't hear anything. Just the sounds of his feet stomping ruthlessly into the body and the voices in the back of his mind. Not in the literal sense of whispers alluding to schizophrenia, but rather the dark thoughts all humans hold, the primal violent side of the race that stems from the earliest days of mankind. At this rate there's no mistaking it. He'll be the one to kill tonight.
"That's enough, Ryuji!"
Arms wrap around his shoulders and weakly pull away at him. Makoto heaves a harsh and heavy huff with every breath.
"He's down! He can't even protect himself! You won! Please don't become like then... Even if he does deserve it."
"B-But...!"
"Please don't. Just. Don't."
She could see it. Like a peek into the future, or a terrifying vision, a nightmare of an epiphany. The way Ryuji lashed out And cruelly spoke. The harsh and brutal beating he gave. It reminds her of the awfully twisted Kuma. In fact the only difference she could see were that Kuma acts out of perverted glee for violence, whereas Ryuji's indignant wrath terrifies those around him, and yet in that regard they seemed all the more similar. Two monsters who live in the fight. She could not have someone she knows with such a good heart fall into the bloodlust.
"Don't be like them."
"..."
Ryuji gives a final kick to Kun Woo Li before pointing at him with vicious scowl.
"You come for her again and next time I won't stop. You come for any of the kids or staff of Shujin Academy, I won't stop. This shitty stupid game you, and your scumbag boss want to play, is between us. Come at me however and whenever you want. I'll be ready."
He turns back to Makoto and nods to the exit. Her smile returns feeling hope inside of her, pride even, the investment she's made into Ryuji is starting to pay off after all. There was a time she really did start to hate him, seeing as he was a blemish on the school's reputation, no use outside of making everyone else look better... Now she can't help but find him in a brighter light...
Or a literal light.
They leave the hospital with a small number of cars parked outside with headlights shining on them. Menacing men in suits similar to Kun Woo Li's await them, some even ready themselves to fight, all with sneers on their faces. The Korean man laughs from behind them as he pushes his nose back into place with a thumb.
"Did you think I really came here on my own? You must have killed Takamata, and Kuma hasn't woken up from his coma, which leaves only me left!"
Makoto leans closer into Ryuji. Both scan the area best they can for an escape. Unfortunately, not one opening is viable, either too risky or a death sentence, they can only stand there in futility. That is until the screeching sound of tires come closing in. Yamatachi's sports car swerves in and collides with the group of men with a drift. Sweeping them away as he opens the door. Ann visibly shaken yet frozen in absolute horror.
"GET IN!"
Makoto snaps out of the stunned shock to pull Ryuji towards the car.
"We're going now!"
"Y-Yeah..."
Kun Woo Li growls and chases after the teens.
"You won't get away!"
He pounces on them only to be sent into the air by a flying kick from Yamatachi. The air from his lungs forced out as the older man's foot near penetrates his chest. Ryuji's assault pales into comparison to this ferocious attack. He lands back into the hospital through the glass doors, conscious, but unable to move. Yamatachi lands adjusting his coat.
"Sorry, no trash in the car. I like to keep it clean."
Makoto ushers Ryuji into the back seat carefully. Ann looks back from the passengers and shrieks.
"Oh My God! Why is he?! How did he?!"
Both of them stare at her with a deadpan.
"Takamaki-san. Please lower your voice."
"Why are you here anyways? Shouldn't you be asleep or some shit?"
Ann shakes her head shoving a finger at them.
"Why are you both acting so nonchalantly?! Ryuji, you look like a goddamn mummy, and Niijima-senpai is as pale as a zombie!"
Ryuji chuckles glancing to Makoto.
"We're part of an intense costume competition. It's all cutthroat, right Makoto?"
Makoto turns her vacant gaze to him. Shaking her head in silence at the laughing boy. Before Ann or anyone else can get another word in, Yamatachi gets into the driver's seat and pulls off.
"Okay kid. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three. Why?"
The car is silent. Everyone becomes unnerved except for Ryuji. He looks between each face before frowning.
"What? Three fingers!"
Ann looks to Yamatachi's hand and gulps. He's holding up one finger.
"W-We have to go back or to another hospital or... Somewhere!"
Yamatachi sighs and lowers his hand.
"Either of you girls got a blood type of B positive?"
Makoto shakes her head sadly.
"I'm A negative... This is pretty dire."
Ann tilts her head at the two.
"I'm B positive. Why? What's that go to do with anything?"
Instantly, Makoto perks up as Yamatachi smiles.
"Y-You do? Takamaki-san! You're our only hope right now!"
"Yeah. We're going to be alright. What a lucky break, huh kid?"
Ryuji sways idle with the motions of the car, the bandages now red with thick trickles of blood leaking out from under, he shrugs still confused.
"So we're the same blood type. What's that got to do with anything?"
Ann plays with her hair trying to comprehend the situation.
"Y-Yeah! Is that kind of thing important right now? You just ran over, like ,six guys and kicked an injured man!"
A shadow cast over Makoto's face. Despite Yamatachi's laughter, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit of disbelief, to think that someone as dense as Ryuji existed so close by. The party arrive at his hideout under the club. Ryuji lays on the lone bed with Ann sitting next to him with a bandage on her arm. The girl stares off to the side perturbed as she glances to the blood packet that stands between them, her blood flowing into his as color slowly returns to his body, she squirms in agony of the silence.
"So you were the vigilante all along? How come we never suspected it? You were so obvious when you came back to school all banged up!"
"H-Hey, lower your voice already, I'm right here."
"I don't want to hear that when you're using my blood to function!"
Silence fills the air again for a long period. Ann speaks up rubbing her arm.
"Thanks..."
"Huh? What for?"
"For saving me and Shiho. Thanks for that."
"... Pfft. We're even then. Thanks for the donation. How come you're with Yamatachi though?"
"Well, he was dropping us off at the train station when..."
"Where'd you get those bruises you two?"
Yamatachi abruptly speaks in the car. His shades obscure his eyes and yet Shiho can't help but pull her sleeve down. The bruise on her wrist hidden underneath. Mishima rubs his cheek looking to his feet.
"Th-These are... They're..."
"They're from volleyball practice."
"Our teacher is very passionate about the sport."
"Yeah. He expects a lot out of us. He... Really believes in his students."
Yamatachi clicks his tongue speaking in a lazy dialect.
"Volleyball, huh? That makes sense for the mousey boy there. That certainly looks like a bruise you'd get from a ball to the face."
Mishima shrinks in his seat. Shiho looks out of the window until the driver continues.
"However, the wrist shouldn't have a hand print like that from volleyball practice. That kind of mark is seen in a violent act."
Ann grumbles and glares at the adult.
"What're you talking about?! No one here has anything like that."
"A-Ann..."
Shiho pulled down the sleeve to reveal a fresh fierce hand print on her wrist. Mishima gasps as Ann drops her jaw.
"S-Suzui-san!"
"Shiho...!?"
Shiho hangs her head and speaks in a low voice.
"It... I... He... It was an accident. Nothing too serious."
Yamatachi shakes his head.
"Bruises can vanish in a few hours when not serious. Minutes even. Whoever put that on you wanted to hurt you."
"I assure you! It's nothing of the kind! How would you know?"
"Cause I used to get hurt like that by someone I used to call teacher."
"What...? Y-You were abused by a teacher?"
"Yeah. It was long ago but some things never heal. You learn a lot about people when you grow up like that. How it feels like it's your fault. That you did wrong, and you have to own up to it, or else you're dragging the others down. Cause you're too weak."
Shiho stares back with misty eyes before looking to the backseat at the other two. Mishima has a guilty face on. He is, by all accounts, Kamoshida's lapdog. His messenger and even favorite punching bag. It was a deal, an understanding they had, it was supposed to be a mutual one too. He would use his knowledge and skills for the internet to find blackmail on other students, and Kamoshida would give him a spot, but now that very same man is using Mishima's gifts as blackmail against him. If he comes out to expose him, he'll be exposing himself as well, he'll never live it down. But seeing what his silence is causing, the results of his actions on others, it's a weight on his heart greater than he can handle.
Ann looks at her phone trying to keep a straight face. There's a lot she could say about Kamoshida. From his constant unusual, and most importantly unwanted advances, to his near forceful nature. He would drive her to school from the train station just to flirt with her. He would try to be familiar just to grope her. He'd even wear cologne to try and seduce her. Texts and voice messages on her phone she could use as evidence for a police report on harassment... But who would believe her? They weren't explicit, nor aggressive, but she knows what he wants. This infuriated her, but Shiho was so happy to have joined her favorite sport club, she'd be damned if she took that away from her... Until now. Shiho wipes the tears forming in her eyes trying to stifle sob. They reach a red light at an intersection. He looks at her and takes off the shades revealing an empathetic gaze before handing her his personal handkerchief.
"Here. A lady shouldn't have to use her hands to wipe her tears away. Just as a man shouldn't sit by and watch a young woman cry."
Reluctantly, Shiho takes it and wipes her eyes, mumbling under her breath about fault. This state she's in, the constant abuse she and her teammates are under, even Ann's own silent suffering is on her. At least, so she believes.
"You didn't do anything wrong. I don't have to know you to know you're a good kid. All of you. I won't tell you what to do either. You're old enough to figure it out... But don't be afraid to ask for help. To help each other. Nothing will get done about it otherwise."
He rolls down his own sleeve to reveal a nasty scar on his arm. It goes down past the bicep into the inner sleeve. As far as Shiho knew it could have gone further. Yamatavhi rolls it back up.
"Sometimes, you have to bite the bullet and keep going to make it somewhere in life, but that's just my advice."
The light turns green and he continues on until they reach the train station. Mishima gets out mumbling a thank you. Shiho offers the handkerchief back.
"... Sir. Thank you for driving us to the station."
"Don't worry about it. Just stay strong, if not for you-"
He nods to Ann and Mishima.
"Then for them. Oh! And uh, keep that, I haven't cried in years so you'll get more use out of it than me."
"... Who are you? Really?"
He smiles and looks ahead without another word. As the two students leave, he relaxes some, until Ann sits in the passengers seat next to him.
"My house is actually closer so it'd be better to go by car."
"Alright."
"Also... I don't know how you did it, but you managed to get Shiho to smile there, so thanks for that."
"It's a man's duty to make a lady smile, ain't it? I couldn't stand seeing her or the boy look so miserable. It was like looking in a mirror for me."
"You really were abused by your teacher?"
"Yeah. He was more than my teacher though. He picked me out of the dirt and molded me into something else... Something worth living, in his eyes, but not mine. It's hard to admit that as a kid, you're taught to trust adults, so when they hurt you it's hard to know how to deal with it. Like I said before, you think it's your fault, and by the time you realize on your own it's too late."
"Too late... Too late to do anything about it... If you could... If you could do something about it. Would you?"
"Depends if I knew what I'd be dealing with. A volleyball coach sounds pretty scary to me. I bet he has a killer spike."
Ann wants to deadpan at that but she chuckles instead. In fact, the whole ride as they talk, they stray from one topic to another. She finds it relaxing around him. Their interests vary, sometimes they align, at times they differ drastically. No matter what they both enjoy the conversation. Her chuckling turns to giggling, then to full on laughter, and eventually tears. She told him everything. By the time they arrive at her building she sits there almost defiantly.
"Hey, Ann. This is it right?"
"... Yes."
"Shouldn't you get out?"
"... Yes."
He stares at her before sighing. He pulls his phone out as it begins to ring.
"Yo. Where have you been asshole? I've had to babysit your classmates this whole time."
Ann looks at him strangely. At this time the hospital would be closed. Ryuji would have to be trespassing to be inside the building. Then, Yamatachi's face grows dark.
"On my way. Move as little as you can. If you gotta fight, end it in the first move like I taught you, and keep her safe."
He hangs up and looks to Ann.
"Okay. Two choices. You leave and I go pick him up from the hospital, or you stay in the car and I pull out anyways, you've got ten seconds to choose."
"And you stayed in the car after how sketchy that shit sounded?!"
Ann shoots a glare at Ryuji and folds her arms.
"I-I was curious! It was all too weird to just ignore and I had nothing to do anyways! Besides, I followed Niijima-senpai trying to find... Well. You."
"Oh yeah... The whole vigilante mystery. Pfft. Hope you're not disappointed."
She rolls her eyes with a dismissive expression.
"Can't say I'm not... But! I've got a new mystery to solve anyhow."
"You mean your forty-eight year old boyfriend?"
"He isn't my-! He's forty-eight!?"
Ann nearly falls out of her chair from the shock. Rather than laugh, Ryuji can't help himself but share in the revelation, an equally surprised tone from him.
"Yeah! When I first met him, I thought he was like twenty-two or something, but he's super old!"
As if on cue, Yamatachi opens the lone door in the room, an angered face as he whines with a wrathful tone.
"How many times I gotta tell you! The age for elderly is sixty! I'm middle-aged! Not old!"
Makoto follows after him shaking her head.
"Denial ill suits you. Takamaki-san? Thank you for your help... You do realize I'm going to ask you to a vow of silence."
Ann nods and stands from her seat.
"When you explained Ryuji and Okumura-chan's whole, thing, I pretty much knew I was now involved into it too. I just hope I don't get hit by a car either."
"P-Please don't mention that..."
"Still, are you sure they're not going to use the cameras against you guys?"
Yamatachi rolls his wrist after calming down.
"There's as much evidence against them as there is for us. They'll just cover up with vandalism and frame someone else for the crime. We should be careful from here on though... Which is why I want Ryuji going back to school."
The three stare at the adult in dumbfounded disbelief. He continues despite their reaction.
"I know, I know, but think about it. Kuma, the strongest of them all, got hospitalized by him alone. Takamata, the most fatal and efficient, died presumably. Kun Woo Li isn't even a big threat to you anymore, not without any help from his lackeys, which means all three men after your life have failed."
Makoto slowly nods.
"He's right... With two out of the way, and with your skill level now on par with the remaining one, maybe it's just safe enough to return to a normal life?"
Ann shakes her head.
"W-Wait a minute! I thought you said that each time Ryuji survives, someone worse than the last is going to to for him, right?"
Yamatachi grins.
"Yeah, until they run out of guys. I said they'll either get more people involved or they'll come to Ryuji for a deal..."
Ryuji's eyes widen as he sits up quickly with a flinch.
"Then-! Ahh... Then, that means I'll be out of the bullshit, right?"
"If they come for a deal and if you accept. Yes. I'll be by your side the whole way, kid."
Makoto places a hand on her chest.
"As will I. I've gotten too invested to not back you up now."
Even Ann looks to Ryuji smiling brightly.
"This kind of stuff only happens in movies... It's all intense but, I kind if like it, feels like I'm part of team of heroes! I don't know if I can do much else but I'll support you."
Ryuji looks at the three with a myriad of emotions running through him. Out of it all, a grateful grin breaks through, a nervous laugh as he rubs his neck. He started this ordeal alone, but now he has the most unlikely allies, not that he minds.
"You guys... Thanks."