Sumida was with his friends, friends who he thought took pity on him for his injury and pushed them away but they were persistent.
Nowadays, he's enjoying their company, and suddenly, he doesn't view life as agonizing and lonely anymore.
Then his memories came back.
Sumida had been in the middle of a conversation when it happened. He had been laughing at a joke one of his friends made when he suddenly stopped midway. Confused about what was happening, it had been months since he was last in the Grand Prix, and he tried to act like nothing was wrong.
But of course, his friends immediately knew what was up.
Sumida passed it off as his old injury acting up, he didn't know there was a time that he could use his old injury as an excuse.
Silver Linings.
While in the middle of reassuring his friends, a really familiar voice spoke up.
"People sure change so much, huh?"
"I-is that A-ace-sama!"
Of all the times for that Geats to appear.
"Yo, Ge-Ace," He almost slipped. "What do you want?"
"Eeeeh?! Sumida-kun, you know Ace-sama?" One of his friends shrieked. "I'm so jealous!"
"I'll introduce you later, it seems like Ace-sama wants to talk to me."
"I'm so jealous! You personally know Ace-sama!" Another one of his friends gushed.
"Damn, Sumida, you know a celebrity, I sure wish I also know celebrities like you do."
"Trust me, it's not all that," Sumida smiled but he shook his head. "Please give us some space, it seems like Ace-sama wants to tell me something."
"Okay, see you in class, Sumida-kun." Another classmate giggled.
As soon as the Sumida's friends left the two of them, Sumida glared at the visitor.
"What are you doing here, Geats?" Sumida growled. "Why do I remember everything in the Desire Grand Prix, now?"
"I'm a god now so I restored all of the memories of every Desire Grand Participant." Ace smirked.
"Did you win another Desire Grand Prix and wished yourself to be a god, then?" Sumida asked. "If so, why'd you make me remember, you do still remember what I did in the game, right?"
"Because you are all entitled to your memories and desires and the DGP stole that from you." Ace shook his head.
"Let me tell you the full story."
"That…"
"As you can see, I'm preparing if some of the supporters from the future would approach you."
"Will you just be visiting anyone who acted like I used to be in the games, surely I can't be the only one who wished for the world to burn." Sumida asked.
"No, Morio is overseas now, answering for his crimes, and the others, well let's just say you two are the only ones who were lucky to survive the Grand Prix."
"Their hubris got to them." Sumida nodded.
Sumida realized what could have been his fate had he proceeded to the next round instead of the runaway princess.
"So what do I do if they do approach me, it's not like you're an actual god who's omnipresent and omniscient."
"Just pretend and do what do what they want you to do," Ace stated. "It can't be that hard."
"Oi, oi, you can't be serious!" Sumida stood up in protest. "What if they tell me to shoot them? What then?"
Sumida angrily gestured in the direction his friends walked to.
"No, I'm sure they won't do that, they're too focused on themselves to be able to think that," Ace assured. "Not to worry, if anything happens Tsumuri will inform me right away, I can even have Buffa or Tycoon patrol near the school."
"Wait, Tycoon? That Tanuki guy?"
"He's a formidable fighter, Dapaan, he can even fight the Pawn Jamato untransformed."
"Seriously?"
"I'm sorry for attacking you!"
Sumida bowed in front of Neon and Michinaga as soon as both Ace and Keiwa disappeared and Tsumuri collapsed.
"Haaaa?!"
"So that's how Ace knew that you'd be coming for me." Neon exclaimed.
"Oi, Na-go, what's going on?" Michinaga looked at his companion.
"No, explanations can wait, we need to bring Tsumuri-chan back to the lounge." Neon shook her head.
"Am I even allowed to go there?"
"You're a Rider, your belt and ID core didn't disappear, I don't see why not." Neon shrugged.
"Wait, is that another person beside her?" Sumida cut in as he looked at the unconscious Navigator."
"Punk Jack!"
"He must have been in danger when Ace recreated the world, so he teleported him to where Tsumuri-chan is."
"Oi, Dapaan, you handle Tsumuri, I handle Punk Jack."
"So Ace approached you," Win hummed. "That guy really thinks steps ahead of everyone else." Win shook his head with a smile.
"You had no choice."
"If I'm understanding this correctly, you were reintroduced to Tycoon by the supporters."
"He was in rough shape," Sumida shared his observations. "From what I heard, that Kekera person orchestrated his family's second death simply by instructing the rider he approached where to attack and let him attack to his heart's content."
"And Beroba got a hold of my Akari-chan's kidnapper," Neon stated her own conclusions. "They're ruthless."
"Too cruel if you ask me." Sumida shook his head.
"So what's next for you, Dapaan?" Win asked.
"To return these," Sumida retrieved his Driver and buckles he had been given and placed them on the couch. "Na-go mentioned that everyone can be happy, I already found mine."
"I'm so happy for you, Kanato-kun." Neon smiled at the boy who had attacked her and her mother earlier in the day. "I'm genuinely happy for you, we all are, and I'm sure Ace is too."
"Are you sure, Dapaan?" Win asked. "We could use someone like you."
"I think the four of them have it handled." Sumida gestured towards Michinaga and Neon.
"Tycoon," Sumida had spotted the man on his way to school.
"Heh, you know the Kamen Rider Sumida-kun?" One of his friends squealed. "You also know Ace-sama, I'm so jealous."
"I've known Tycoon before," Kanato shook his head. "Go on ahead, I just want to catch up a bit."
"Okay~!" His friends nodded. "You better tell us if you know anyone else famous!" They chorused.
"The next thing that will happen is Neon-chan approaching you, you better tell us if you know her!"
"Hai, hai." Sumida shook his head.
"So, we'll go first! Don't take too long, you know how finicky the teachers are if you are even a second late."
"Hai, hai."
Sumida waved at his friends as they walked to their school.
"So, I take it you didn't have a choice when you joined Beroba that day?" Tycoon spoke from behind him, he had the decency to wait until his friends were out of earshot.
"You could say that," Sumida nodded. "I wanted to apologize for my words that day."
"No need," Tycoon smiled at the boy. "You were speaking facts and had it not been for you, I would have given my all into fighting Ace that day."
"You were holding back?" Sumida's eyes widened.
"You didn't notice?" Tycoon questioned. "Ace and I were holding back that time."
"If that fight was the both of you holding back, I don't want to see you two fight together or against each other at full power."
Sumida shivered at the thought of having to fight two powerful enemies.
"Just so you know, Neon-chan's plenty powerful as well."
Tycoon had the audacity to mention that, Sumida knew firsthand how powerful Na-go had gotten.
"I know, I had to shoot her mother to keep up appearances and gain the favor of the supporters and their audience."
"So it was like a test for you to be able to meet me?" Tycoon hummed. "I wouldn't put it past them, Kekera was viewing like a killing machine he had helped create, and Beroba just loved capitalizing on people's misery."
"Still, they're gone now," Sumida sighed. "At least, I know Kekera's dead."
"Michinaga-san also defeated Beroba." Tycoon informed.
"Your four just got more powerful since I left the game, huh."
"And we endured too much for us to gain this power, sometimes I question if this power was worth it compared to the suffering we four went through." Tycoon answered.
"You're right." Sumida realized the amount of suffering Tycoon went through, if it was comparable to his, then the others had suffered too much too.
"Shouldn't you be going to school now?" Tycoon smiled at the man.
"Crap!" Sumida's eyes widened. "I'm really sorry for everything I did up to this point!" He bowed.
"No," Tycoon pulled him to a standing position but his hands stayed on his shoulders. "You don't have to apologize for anything."
"Thank you."
"Still, I'm glad you turned out alright Sumida-kun. There's at least one thing the Desire Grand Prix has brought this world," Tycoon gave a smile. "Silver Linings."
Sumida smiled at Tycoon, it's good that he can still see something good for the myriad of bad things to happen to him.
"You should hurry to school now; I'm also heading for work."
"Crap! Thank you again, Tycoon!"
"You're welcome."