In the long, rectangular room that was the Nurse's office, most of the students that were previously inside at break time had either been sent back home early after calls were sent to their parents, or had been sent back to class due to having thankfully less-serious injuries received from the recruitment test. The place was now almost deserted as there was barely anyone left inside, aside from a few students who were still unconscious as they slept on the beds.
The sound of a water droplet dripping on water echoed from one of the sinks in the corner of the room as Tomura sat next to one of the beds in his wheelchair, bearing scratch marks and bruises on his arms and face, along with a bit of dirt on his school uniform. Mirai sat on a chair in front of him, wringing a wet towel over a bowl of water before using it to wipe Tomura's dirtied face with it. They were in the far end of the nurse's office, sitting beside a large window as the curtains shut out the sunlight from outside.
"You haven't told Takuya yet, have you?" Mirai softly asked, wetting the towel again. She got a rueful shake of a head from Tomura as a response that was curt as Mirai held his face to wipe him clean, "Why?"
"I didn't want him to worry about me," Tomura whispered, tapping the tips of his fingers against each other, "I thought they'd stop after I reported them to the teachers, but they still bullied me... even today," the boy had a sunken expression as he felt the cold towel rub his bruised face, "To think that I thought it would be a good idea to sign up for morning classes," Tomura gave a self-depreciating chuckle, his tone bitter.
Mirai sighed, placing the towel in the bowl and picking up some ointment, "I knew something wasn't right when I saw you hurt yesterday. It's never like you to get into accidents. Aren't you going to talk to Takuya about this ? He is your brother-"
"No!" Tomura suddenly yelled, momentarily startling the girl, "When he saw me like this just now, I-I told him it was an accident. I... I don't want him to worry about me. If he does... He'll..." Feeling guilty for shouting at her for no good reason, Tomura ruefully hung his head and looked down on the floor, locking his eyes on the white tiles below him, "I'm sorry."
Despite acting like a mature boy for the past few days, he was still a kid and was of course, unsure of what to do in this kind of situation. Mirai brought his face up and continued to wipe his face with the wet towel, hesitantly replying, "Fine. We'll keep this between us. But, if this bullying goes on, I don't know what will happen..." it hurt her to see him like this. She never thought the kids at school would discriminate him for being disabled, but now that she knew, Mirai didn't know what action she needed to take now.
"... Thank you, Mirai."
Suddenly, the door slid open and an exhausted Narita came in, carrying a few boxes of med-kits in her arms. Mirai stood up, ran to the door and helped the older woman with the cumbersome equipment. She looked past the Nurse's shoulder and quietly gasped when she saw Madoka and Homura outside, carrying an injured Tateyama and Hideki into the room with the boys' arms over their shoulders. They gently placed the two unconscious boys on separate, prepared beds as Mirai helped settled down the med-kits on Narita's desk.
Both of them were covered in bruises and injuries, with Hideki looking he had received the worst of Takehito had ever given. Mirai put a hand over her mouth that was left open from shock, "W-What happened? Where's Mamoru?"
Helping Madoka pull the blankets over the boys and tucking them into bed, Homura sat down next to Hideki and ran a slowly hand through the boy's hair, "That Takehito boy did this. They didn't very well on the test. Mamoru was called back to class after it happened, as well," Homura looked around, her eyes wandering, "Where's Takuya?"
"The teachers called him back. But Takehito did this? My God..." Mirai went over to the two boys and examined them carefully: Tateyama's wounds weren't very drastic aside from the damage to his face, but he remained unconscious with a thankfully steady pace in his breathing. Hideki, though, had wounds that were worst overall compared to the other people that Mirai had tended to earlier. She didn't bother on the gruesome details and immediately tended to them with Madoka and Homura helping. Narita sat in her chair, a distant look in her eyes.
Homura noticed Tomura sitting next to the beds further away from them and was going to call out to him when the door slid open again. Sayaka was there, most likely looking for her friend, "Madoka, teacher Saotome is calling for you. She wants you back at class," she looked across the room, but turned away when she saw Hideki lying unconscious on the bed; the sight was unpleasant to look at.
"I'll be right there," Madoka replied with a nod and looked over to the nurse, "Can I please excuse myself, Miss Narita?"
"Go ahead," she replied, almost sighing, "And Homura, I want you to go with her."
"Me?" Homura pointed to herself, confused "But Hide-"
"Mirai and I have them covered. I just don't want you missing your classes," Narita sipped her mug of coffee and let out a heavy sigh, "Go on."
Standing up with Madoka, a loud groan was heard from behind and the girls looked to see Tateyama slowly waking up. Attempting to pull himself into a sitting position, he pushed his long hair back onto the left of his face as he struggled to speak, let alone get a good view of where he was. He clutched his chest, grimacing as he held onto the bed railing for support, "What... happened...?"
Mirai went to him and slowly pushed his shoulders down to put him back on a lying position. He resisted for a moment before lying back down in bed, "Stay still, Ikezawa. Even if you weren't hit up pretty bad like the others, you still need to rest," she looked over to Madoka and Homura, gesturing to them, "You two go on ahead. We'll take care of them, for sure."
Tateyama rolled his head to the side to see Hideki lying unconscious on the bed next him. For a while, he seemed to display a bit of anger as he bit his lip. That anger then turned to regret as Tateyama watched his friend barely breathing while he lied unconscious.
Homura was going to request that she stay with the boys, when Tateyama turned to her, "Just go," he insisted, resting his head on the soft pillow, "We'll be fine," he took in a deep breath before Mirai began to check the wounds on his head. Reluctantly and silently, the raven-haired girl nodded her head in affirmation and went to the door with Madoa. She looked back at the far end of the room, where Tomura could still be seen, silently sitting by the window and staring at the floor. With one last glance at the unconscious Hideki, Homura left the room and closed the door behind her.
The hallways that lead to the classrooms were usually filled with people, but they were now empty and sparse of anybody wandering around. Even though it was just that most of the students were back in their classrooms, the place felt completely deserted and abandoned. As she walked, sunlight poked through the glass planes beside Homura and shined on the three girls that were heading back to their respective classes.
Homura walked silently behind the conversing girls, a sense of conflict rising in her chest. Inside, she was feeling hesitant to leave them behind at the office. But, she knew she had to let them rest. And whenever she looked at Madoka, ever since this morning, she had felt an unknown urge inside her. Something that made her want to stay in Madoka's presence, something that kept her eyesight latched onto the girl; Homura's mind was too busy wondering about these two separate, conflicting subjects, that she didn't realize they were talking to her.
"Hey, can you hear us?" Sayaka waved a hand in front of Homura who redirected her attention back to them. She gave them a curt nod to affirm that she was listening, "You feeling okay?" Sayaka asked, folding her arms, "Cause you look a bit sick."
Madoka stopped to test Homura's temperature, feeling her warmth forehead with a hand that made Homura blush a little, "Your temperature is a bit high," Madoka stated, "You also look a bit pale. Do you want to head back to the Nurse's Office for a check up?"
"I'm completely fine," Homura waved off their worries and the three continued their walk back to class, "I'm just... worried about those two."
"I can see why," Sayaka placed her hands behind her head and looked out the clean windows, "They got pretty messed up bad, didn't they? Didn't look pretty from where I was standing just now. That Takehito guy is a sick bastard. The guy enjoys doing this sort of crap whenever he gets the chance."
Homura nodded, agreeing with the girl.
"Now, now, let's be a bit hopeful, okay?" Madoka attempted to lighten the mood, the air thickening with gloom, "I'm sure they'll be fine. Don't you think, Akemi?"
"I guess so. I guess if they managed to treat my wounds, I think they'll be fine. But, I still worry about what they're feeling about right now," Homura brushed her forehead with a hand, tracing the scar that ran down the side of her face. It had yet to heal, but it didn't bother Homura, "What was that test just now for, anyway?"
"You heard about how Makoto's team members been disappearing, right?" Sayaka began, "Well, from what I heard, they were trying to bring in new members from other clubs and the lower year classes. I was going to sign up. Going to," she added that last part, shaking her hear as the sight of all those injured students were stuck in her head.
The horrible beating that had occurred in the gym came back to Homura's mind and she felt her hand shivering from that thought. She held it tightly so the other two wouldn't notice, but the sight of Hideki being beaten so brutally was still fresh in her mind. Each time she heard the punch connect, there was this disgusting crunching noise that came with it. It was a sickening thing to hear over the course of just a few minutes.
The three stopped at the intersecting hallways which lead to different classrooms where they could see most of classrooms already filled with students. Madoka and Sayaka's class was to the right, while Homura's temporary one was straight ahead of them. Madoka took this opportunity to say goodbye, giving a bright smile and wave, "See you later, Akemi. I hope your friends get well soon. Don't worry too much about them okay?"
Sayaka gave a minor one, too, as Homura waved them goodbye. But when they were out of sight, Homura suddenly felt a bit disappointed, suddenly alone, and strangely, heartbroken. Her mind told her to follow them, to watch Madoka, but when Homura's maths teacher, Akio Sei, arrived from behind and suddenly called her name, the teacher nearly gave the girl a heart attack. Jumping back and recovering from her shock, Homura gave a bow and greeted him accordingly.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, looking worried from the way Homura was standing in the hallway just now, "Class is starting, so I suggest you head back in."
"Yes, Teacher Sei," she politely replied and the man smiled from her manners.
"I look forward to your high marks on the test the class will be having," he gave a hearty chuckle and patted Homura on the back as they both headed back to class together.
No one in the class attempted to talk nor whisper to one another during the test. Teacher Sei sat in his chair, reading a book as he was waiting for the students to finish up and the bell to ring. In the front seats, Mamoru was trying to focus on the paper as he bit on his thumb to calm himself down from earlier's event. Beside him, Takuya stared blankly at his sheet, wondering why was Tomura suddenly occasionally being seen with injuries every time he or Narita would pick him up from school. At the back, with Homura, the seats usually occupied by Tateyama and Hideki were, of course, empty.
She tapped the tip of her pencil on the sheet of paper that was her's. Even though Homura was basically not doing anything, she did understand the topic material. It was just that 1 thing had been plaguing her mind: Kaname Madoka. If this wasn't plaguing her mind, then it would be Tateyama and Hideki's welfare that would. Unable to focus, Homura sighed and placed her pencil down, staring blankly at the transparent walls, whispering, "Kaname... Madoka..."
Her eyes were glued to the walls for minutes, then a flash of light streamed across her eyes, temporary blinding her, the back of her head suddenly began to ache and the base of her neck starting to burn with a stinging sensation. What is going on? she thought, gripping her neck tightly. Muffling her mouth so she wouldn't attract the attention of the teacher, Homura saw pictures flash before her eyes, all at blinding speeds that made them incomprehensible to see. She could feel the scar that ran down the side of her head beginning to sting for a moment.
"Kaname Madoka," a child-like voice whispered, "Walpurgisnacht... Sayaka Miki... Mami Tomoe... Kyouko Sakura..." Homura covered her ears to block out the incomprehensible noise in her head,before the voices began to settle with a calm and collected voice, completely lacking of emotional attachment, stating loudly in her mind, "Walpurgisnacht is our main goal, Clyde. Eliminate any possible disturbances. Find Sanbey and extract what we need from him."
Homura gasped for air, the pain and voices settling. Wiping the beads of sweat trailing down her face, Homura's tired eyes looked up from her table to see Teacher Sei giving her a worried and surprised look, "Are you feeling ill?" he asked, gesturing her to the door, "If you need medical attention, I can take you to the Nurse's Office if you'd like for a check-up."
"I'm fine, Teacher Sei," Homura reassured him and the man hesitantly went back to the front of the class. Looking back at her paper, Homura began to think about just what had just happened there and if it held any connections to Sayaka's comment on her paleness earlier. Or even, her lost memories. The scar on her head even began acting up. There was so much Homura had to worry about, and it felt like her mind was being cluttered about with so many things she didn't know or couldn't remember.
Then, Homura's ears picked up the sound of the class' door opening, along with a few harsh grunts and held-back groans of pain. Most of the students, including Mamoru, Takuya and Homura, turned their direction to the door and saw Hideki, covered in bloodied compression wraps, panting as Tateyama held his arm around his shoulder. Tateyama had only a few bandages compared to Hideki and seemed to have carried him all the way here by himself. Hideki sent a cocky smile at Homura, Mamoru and Takuya, who weren't expecting this, even from him.
Teacher Sei promptly rushed to the door and helped support the boy who barely held onto his friend's shoulder, "Just what do you think your're doing here?" he inquired in a scolding tone, "You should be resting in the Nurse's Office."
Hideki's answer was interrupted by him violently coughing behind his hand. He then chuckled, quipping, "I heard there was a maths test today, so I thought I'd try and at least pass this test," he gave a self-depreciating chuckle, "I'm leaving in an hour anyway. I just didn't feel like waiting in a room full of sick people," Hideki turned to his friends and gave a two-finger salute, "I don't look so bad, right?"
"Enough," Sei affirmed the boy, hating his attitude despite the wounds he bore, "You two should be in the Nurse's Office. I'm sending you back there."
"No," Hideki refused, his cocky smirk unwavering, "We have the Nurse's permission. Remember, this is us you're talking to, Teacher Sei. We could be standing here arguing for an hour if we'd like. I can even use that to kill some time, in fact," his jokes were then cut off when he saw the disapproving glare from Tateyama. Hideki quickly shut up and kept quiet.
The teacher glared at the boy for a few seconds, and then eased up, sighing in defeat as he went back to his table, "Fine. You two get to your seats. Class started 30 minutes ago, so hurry up and finish your work," Teacher Sei sat back down on his chair and went back to the book he was reading.
Scuffling past the students, Homura could hear some of them whispering and muttering to each other about the two. Mamoru didn't like this and sent sharp glares at them while Takuya tried to calm him down. Most of the things Homura could hear weren't pleasant to listen to: Some commented on how he deserved the beating he got earlier, others joked that he would collapse any second now, and some muttered to each other that he just a show-off who couldn't back up his ego; likewise for Tateyama, who they also gossiped about. This ended when Teacher Sei smacked his table with his teaching baton and the loud snap made them go back to their work.
At the back, Hideki was slowly placed down on his seat before Tateyama went back to his own. The blue-haired boy pulled down the table that was held on one appendage with a bruised arm and Teacher Sei handed the two their papers before heading back to the front. Once the teacher walked back to his table, Homura placed her head down to avoid being detected and whispered to Hideki, "Shouldn't you be resting in the infirmary?"
"I'll rest when I'm dead," Hideki joked, but got cut off when he felt pain arising from his chest. He stifled the pain and smiled again at Homura. His smile was so thin that Homura could still see both the physical and mental pain Hideki was suffering at the moment, "How about you? I noticed you've been getting along with the others. Good job on that, Akemi."
Unfazed by the smile he had, she continued telling him to head back to the office, "I'm fine, but you should be taking a rest. You-"
Teacher Sei loudly cleared his throat and the two immediately stopped talking, focusing their attention on the test at hand. Picking up her pencil, Homura looked from the corner of her eye and there, she could see a glimmer of defeat and disgrace on Hideki's face once he had turned away. She knew he was hiding something behind that smile of his. She hated seeing him like this, brushing off everyone's worries with quips and jokes. Her hand tightening around her pencil, Homura couldn't help but feel like actually doing something about this. She didn't want to see her friend like this and needed to find a way to fix it.
After maths class, it was time once again for again the 10-minute break they had between each subjects. While Tateyama's injuries weren't serious enough to warrant a call to his guardian, Hideki's were, so he began packing his bag before he would head out and wait at the school gates for his father. Mamoru and Takuya were questioning him if he was actually both physically and mentally all right, but Hideki only shrugged off their concern. Meanwhile, Tateyama stood at the doors to the classroom, waiting for Hideki before he would help him walk to the school gates.
"Come on, guys, I've been through worse," Hideki leaned on his table and placed an arm on his waist. The medical wraps around his body covered his arms, his torso and half his face. A few were around his legs and abdomen as well, but most of the damage had been done to his upper body, "I'm telling you, I'm fine. These will heal up in a few days, so there's no point worrying about it."
Takuya frowned, the boy not believing anything he had just heard as he pressed on with his questions, "You don't look like you're fine. I mean, you were waiting for a chance like this to get into the team for a long time. Especially after you and Tateyama failed the first time. Why won't you just tell us how you feel?""
"Tell us, Hideki," Mamoru demanded, almost pleading his friend, "Takuya and I can-"
"I said I'm fine," Hideki repeated, in a more aggressive tone that made the two silent as they stepped away from him.
Takuya looked hurt and Mamoru patted him on the back, assuring him that he did not mean to scare them. With the the conversation now ended, Hideki slung his bag over his shoulders and got off his seat with the apology he muttered to them almost inaudible. The two didn't say anything as he went between them and headed to the door where Tateyama was silently waiting for him. Hideki wrapped an arm around the white-haired boy's shoulder and was guided to the school gates while Mamoru and Takuya could only look on. The group leader saw the bitter frown on Hideki's face and tried thinking of something to remedy the situation.
Mamoru felt almost helpless as he tried contemplated on what to do. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked at the back of the class and saw Homura sitting in her chair, having silently watched their argument just now. She was now reading a book to try and distract herself. Mamoru, still worried about Hideki's well-being and as the leader of the Freelancers, went up to her and tapped on her table to get her attention.
Once she directed her eyes to him, she saw an almost pleading look on his face as Mamoru asked her, "Akemi, I have a favor to ask of you," his tone was softer than every other time she had heard him speak, sounding completely crestfallen, "Can you please... help us?"
Outside the school, the bright sun hid behind the clouds as a calm wind blew and rustled the leaves on the growing trees outside the school gates. Hideki was waiting right outside the tall metal gates of the school with his bag beside him, sitting on the concrete asphalt as he looked up at the sky, sighing and bitterly chuckling at the same time, "... And I thought I could've actually beaten him... What a fucking joke..."
The chirping of birds from the park across the street rang in his ears, along with the sounds of cars honking and passing by in the distance. He leaned his head on the hard metal behind him, letting the sounds sink into his ears, but they were soon replaced with footsteps that came from behind, growing louder and louder as Hideki's lips pursed. Hideki stood up and turned around to see Homura, who looked at him with a worried frown as she stood behind the metallic gates that separated the two. Hideki put back his cocky smile on and greeted her casually.
"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be back at class with the others?"
"Mamoru... He told me to speak to you," she uttered, gripping her hands tightly behind her back, "Do you want to... talk for a while?"
"I'm not sure about that," he scratched the back of his head, sounding sheepish, "My Dad's coming in a few minutes, so I'm not sure if I got any spare time for some chit-chat. Maybe tomorrow we could talk about it?"
"It's better to talk your problems with other people," Homura stated, her serious tone making him drop that cocky smirk of his, "It's not good to keep them all to yourself. Please. Mamoru and Takuya are worried about you. So am I..."
"I-... Fine," he dropped back down on the concrete and Homura walked pass the gates to sit down next to him, hugging her legs tightly to her chest. She looked back at him and saw that his forced smile and flaring eyes were gone, replaced with a sunken expression that she never knew he could have. It was almost heartbreaking to look at.
"Can you tell me what seems to bothering you?" Homura asked, seeing Hideki grimacing and his hands tightened into fists. Her hand, out of reflex, lifted itself from her side and placed it over his. She could feel his trembling hands slowing down from the soft grip she had on them. Hideki remained silent for a while, then opened his mouth to speak, his words more honest than anything he had ever spoken a few minutes ago.
"Tateyama... Tateyama and I had been preparing for this day," Hideki whispered, "We were sure that we would win and get into the team. After all, those that work hard get rewarded in the end, right?" he gave a dark chuckle and leaned on the metallic bars, "This competition... it means everything to the both of us. Even before we all met, we spectated the matches as kids, thinking we could be in those rings one day. We both thought we could taste the glory of being someone people looked up to, the feeling of actually accomplishing something. Now... I don't even know if we ever will join the team," he picked up a stone by his hand and threw it at a pond across the street, watching it land at the edge of the lake, "When you arrived here with your memories still with you, that was the time we first tried getting in with fake enlistment forms. So it wasn't the first time you've seen us try to get in."
"Why are you working so hard for this?" Homura questioned, leaning closer to him, "Was there someone who inspired you so much, that you'll do anything for this?"
Hideki looked up at the sky and closed his eyes shut. He gave a curt and solemn nod, "My mother. She used to join competitions like this all the time. And before she died... I promised her that I would become stronger and make her proud. Become someone that people could respect," he opened his eyes again and reached for the clouds with an open hand covered in medical wraps, "I promised that I would be like her: strong, determined, fearless, that I would be someone that would be able distinguish himself from the others and prove my worth... and that I will no longer be the coward I used to be as a kid."
Homura frowned, as hearing his story made her think of her own forgotten objectives. Hideki had a goal in his life that now seems like a distant dream, almost like how Homura herself had a goal to get back her memories. And last night, she herself doubted if she could every remember the goals she had forgotten and complete them, "And what about your father? Isn't he supporting you?"
"No... he isn't," he replied, his tone becoming more louder and angry, "My Dad's a damn loser and always kept me from entering. Ever since Mom died, all he ever does now is bow down and let people treat him like shit, just so he could keep his job. He doesn't even realize the fact that if Mom never joined these tournaments in the first place, we wouldn't have a house to live in!" he took in a deep breath and slammed a fist onto the concrete, blood pouring from an opened wound as he began to tear up, "I gave my word to her. But instead, I failed, and now I realize I'm just as useless as my father! I can't even do anything that would make her proud!"
Hideki covered his face with an open hand and turned away from Homura. She could hear him crying as he moved away from her and created a wide space between them. Lost for words, Homura cast her gaze on Hideki's back. Blood dripped from the reopened wound on Hideki's hand and he did nothing to seal it. For minutes, Hideki just kept himself away from Homura, not wanting to see him cry like this or the tears running down his face. Then, he heard her getting up and some footsteps. He thought she had turned to leave, when he suddenly felt her arms wrap around his head.
He then was pulled into a warm embrace and Hideki was speechless as he felt Homura's hand run through his hair. Tears continued to pour from his eyes, the boy completely unsure of what to do as Homura tightened her soft and gentle grip on his head, until Hideki just broke down and started crying into Homura's chest. Trembling in her arms as he wept, Hideki remembered this sensation. It was the same sensation he had felt whenever his mother comforted him in the times where he couldn't help but cry. He had missed this feeling dearly.
"It's all right. Not everyone succeeds on their first or second try," she assured him with a whisper to his ears, "I sometimes felt the same. That when I first fail, I felt like I wouldn't be able to succeed no matter how hard I try. I don't remember where did these feelings came from, but these feelings are still inside me, and are related to my lost memories. I know it," Homura felt his tears staining her shirt as she continued, "But... even if I don't have all my memories right now, I still remember that I have an objective to complete, and I will not stop until I complete it, no matter what happens. Your courage is one of the best things and most inspirational things about you, Hideki. Instead of just admitting defeat right now, shouldn't you just dust yourself off and try again?"
The boy was at a lost for words, his cheeks stained with tears and his eyes sore red as he looked up Homura and saw the reassuring smile on her face that removed some of the doubt he had in himself. It was the same smile that his mother always gave him, and it felt like it had seemingly lifted all weight from his chest.
"I always thought you were someone who never gave up, Hideki. Even if you were beaten and pinned to the ground, I believe that you can accomplish anything as long as you put your mind and heart into it."
Releasing him from her embrace, Hideki looked down on the pavement and thought about her words, "You... You got a point there," he chuckled weakly, his light and more hopeful tone relieving Homura, "Thanks, though... I guess needed that. Thank you... Homura."
Homura smiled and giggled, "You're welcome, Hideki."
As the two sat in a comfortable state of silence, a small car came from around the corner and stopped in front of the two. Hideki hustled his bag over his shoulder and went to open the backseat doors. He gripped the door-handle and turned around to Homura before entering the car, "I'll... I'll think about what you said to me. Thanks again, Homura. But... can I ask you a favor?"
Homura cocked her head to one side, getting up and dusting her skirt, "What is it?"
"If you don't mind, I want you talk to Tateyama for me," he requested, adding a formal bow to it, "Even if he seems fine... he has problems of his own, and like myself, he needs someone to talk to in times like this. He's just as hurt as I am, if not more. Please, get him to open to you, like you did for me. You're a kind person and a good friend, Homura, and you shouldn't doubt your abilities. Ever."
Homura smiled at the compliment, slightly blushing, "Of course," finally, that smile of his came back as Hideki entered the backseat of his father's car. Homura watched as the vehicle left and drove off into the distance. Looking back at the school behind her, a look of confidence came to her as Homura entered the gates and returned to her classroom, determined to hold up the promise she had made with Hideki.