Chapter Five: The Pursuit of Happiness

5-1

The next day, I woke up to the uncomfortable gaze of my two brothers. Kagami had a smug look on his face: "Looks like we'll have a sister-in-law soon." Shigeru added fuel to the fire: "When can we have a wedding feast?"

They completely ignored my presence and started chattering away.

Don't they know this is suicidal behavior? I smiled at them charmingly: "I'll let you guys choose: rare, medium rare, or well done. Which one do you prefer?" I pretended to press a button on my watch, and they quickly shut up.

Luckily, it was a holiday today, so I didn't have to go to school. Just as I was about to go back to sleep, the doorbell rang, very inopportunely. I impatiently went to open the door: "We already subscribe to Yomiuri Shimbun. If you have tickets to a Tokyo Dome Giants game, then maybe I'll consider it."But the faces in front of the door made me feel awkward! Because they weren't anyone else but Momoko and Kaoru!

Momoko looked confused: "What are you talking about? Yuzuhiko?" I awkwardly replied: "I thought you were here to sell newspapers."

Shigeru and Kagami also entered the entranceway, and Shigeru asked about their visit: "Is there something you need?"

Kaoru explained: "Today is Miyako's birthday, and the professor said we should have a birthday party at the institute!"

Oh!? If there's going to be lots of good food, then why wait! Just as I was about to lock the door, Kagami suddenly remembered something important: "Oh! Wait a minute! I forgot something."

I gave him a side-eye, and Momoko suddenly grinned mischievously and asked me mysteriously: "Does he have a crush on Miyako!?" I shrugged: "Maybe."

Momoko looked sympathetic: "Well, he might be disappointed then."

Shigeru asked: "What do you mean?"

Kaoru added: "Miyako already likes someone, and he's her first love!" Just as I was about to inquire further, Kagami had already walked out, causing us to temporarily halt our previous conversation.

At the same time, on the way to the research institute, Miyako was walking alone with her head down, not saying a word, tears glistening in her eyes as she recalled what had happened during the hospital visit.

"One hour ago, at a private hospital in Tokyo."

Miyako cheerfully opened the door to the hospital room: "Takaaki, good morning!"

Takaaki, who was sitting on the hospital bed, smiled and greeted Miyako: "Good morning, Miyako."

It was then that Miyako noticed a beautiful girl sitting beside Takaaki's bed, waving and smiling at her.

Miyako asked, "May I ask who this is...?"

Takaaki explained to Miyako, "Oh, I never found the right time to introduce her to you. She is my..."

After a few minutes of small talk, Miyako found an excuse to end the visit, left the hospital with a sullen face, and walked away quickly.

"I can't do this. Today is my birthday. I should be smiling!" Miyako thought to herself, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes as she walked towards the research institute.

"International Scientific Research Institute"

Before the party started, Miyako was pulled to a corner of the hallway by Kagami. Kagami quietly asked, "Miyako, has someone been bullying you?"

Miyako asked in confusion, "Why do you think that?"

Scratching his head earnestly, Kagami said, "Because I noticed your eyes are a bit red."

Miyako was a little surprised, thinking she had hidden it well, but Kagami still noticed. She quickly smiled and said, "I think it must be your imagination! No one is bullying me~"

Kagami smiled and said, "Then I must have been mistaken. You look better when you smile. The goddess of luck hates crybabies the most~"

"I'll go touch up my makeup," Miyako said with a smile as she walked towards the bathroom. Kagami waved from behind, "Okay, see you in the living room in a bit." After saying that, Kagami walked towards the living room.

Miyako turned and looked at Kagami's back, muttering to herself, "Kagami..."

"Happy~ Birthday to you~~!" Everyone chorused, celebrating today's birthday girl,Miyako. Miyako laughed heartily: "Thank you, everyone!" Momoko couldn't wait and gazed eagerly at the cake: "Hurry up and blow out the candles!"At this moment, in a personal ward in a hospital in Tokyo, a blond teenager lay on the hospital bed, staring at the sky. The desire for freedom intensified within him, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself: "When will I ever recover...? I really want to go out and breathe fresh air soon... Damn it... It's all because of this illness. If only I could have the surgery as soon as possible..." Suddenly, a pile of black powder floated in from outside the window...

While we were immersed in the joyful atmosphere, the six of us plus a dog (me, Shigeru, Momoko, Kaoru, Professor, Ken, and Peach) saw Kagami take out a box from his pocket and walk towards Miyako. (Miyako had her back to him.) I thought that was probably the thing he had just gone back to his room to get.

Just as we eagerly anticipated what was inside the box, Mayor and Belen burst in through the hotline: "Emergency! There's a werewolf monster rampaging in the streets!"

The Powerpuff Girls exclaimed in unison: "Werewolf monster!?"

The mayor said, "I'm sending the footage over now!" As the footage showed a werewolf wreaking havoc in the streets,

Miyako suddenly fell to her knees, her legs giving out: "How... How can it be... Takaaki!"

Seeing this, I asked Momoko, "Do you know him?" Momoko replied, "Of course! He is Miyako's first love!"

What!? Is this a scene from Disney's classic Beauty and the Beast?!

At that moment, I noticed Kagami's face slightly change, and he quickly put the small box back into his pocket.

Professor also exclaimed in surprise: "Hasn't he already been rid of the black light by Bubble's shabon freedom!?"

Shigeru suddenly woke everyone up: "Let's chat later! We need to move now!"

Kaoru added, "It's time to act!"

"Shibuya"

A swift and agile beast seemed to be enjoying its freedom as it leaped and bounded through the streets. After making sure there were no innocent citizens nearby, I immediately swung my Kendama forward: "Flame Strike!"

Blossom launched her yoyo: "Apple Pie Shot!" But before the Kendama and yoyo could hit him, he dodged them! This guy's speed was not to be underestimated!

Suddenly, his fist appeared in front of me, and I quickly crossed my hands, trying to minimize the impact, but the force was enough to send me flying and crashing to the ground!

Blossom exclaimed, "Brick!"

Ouch! That kind of force would definitely break bones for ordinary people! Half-jokingly, I got up from the ground: "Bubbles, your boyfriend sure has some skills!"

Butch raised his pinwheel: "Air Slash!" and a tornado lifted the werewolf into the air,

Butterrcup attempted to follow up with a hammer blow in mid-air: "Gravity Accelerated Hammer Strike!"

But the werewolf caught the hammer directly and ruthlessly kicked Butterrcup in the stomach, Butterrcup screamed in pain: "Ahhh!" Butch quickly caught Butterrcup as she was kicked away, anxiously asking, "Are you okay!?"

Butterrcup, clutching her stomach, was on the verge of tears: "How could I be okay, it hurts so much!" Bubble stood there in a daze, unable to believe what she was seeing. Why? Why would kind Takaaki bully her most cherished friend!?

Suddenly, a pair of wolf claws pounced forward, and just as they were about to pierce Bubbles, clang! A katana blocked the claws' attack.

Boomer angrily roared, "Had enough fun?!"

The claws and the sword clashed for a while. The werewolf quickly jumped up, and Boomer, not to be outdone, the two exchanged blows at a speed beyond the naked eye, sword glints and claw shadows, exchanging dozens of moves, resulting in a stalemate, and the places they passed by were full of pits and holes, not a single intact spot! At this moment, a small box fell out of Boomer 's pocket.

"Ah!" He quickly picked it up, and of course, the werewolf wouldn't miss that moment, launching a punch directly at Boomer .

Bang! Clang! Boomer was blasted into a building, causing the entire building to collapse. It was evident how powerful this werewolf was! I couldn't bear to watch anymore!

"Bastard!" I shouted loudly, about to swing my Kendama and prepare to launch fireballs, but Bubble's voice shouted in our ears, "Let me try to persuade him!"

What!? Butch asked in astonishment, "Are you trying to convince him?!"

We saw Bubble actually undo her own transformation, stepping forward to hug the werewolf: " Takaaki! Stop hurting my friend!" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, and the werewolf's actions stopped instantly, but then he let out a furious roar. His claws swung mercilessly again!

"Miyako!" All of us shouted. Suddenly, a hand pressed on the werewolf's head: "Furious Thunder!"

Boom! A powerful silver-blue thunderbolt struck the werewolf, resolving Miyako's crisis. Miyako pleaded, "Boomer... please save Takaaki!... I beg you...!" But Boomer did not respond. Reflexively, he used his hand to shield Miyako behind him, glaring angrily at the werewolf in front of him.

5-2

The werewolf climbed out of the rubble and angrily charged towards Boomer with sharp wolf claws. Boomer retracted his katana into its sheath and placed his hand on the hilt of the katana, slightly crouching and stepping forward with his left foot.

That stance... Could it be... the Iaijutsu! A technique that instantly draws and attacks the opponent's vital points, it's a move that's fatal with just one strike!

"Stop! Don't kill him!" I hastily shouted, but it was too late! Just in an instant! The two brushed past each other in a very short time, and the outcome was decided! The werewolf slowly fell down... Miyako couldn't hold back her tears and ran forward to hug him: "Takaaki!" The rest of us landed on the ground, Buttercup clenched her fists angrily: "Why did you do that?!"

Blossom also disapproved of Boomer's actions: "Regardless! I believe there must be other ways!"

But as I approached the werewolf, I couldn't help but smile slightly: "Hey! You used the back of the sword, didn't you?"

"Huh?" The other four of us said in unison.

Boomer also smiled bitterly: "Yes." At this moment, Professor Utonium and Ken arrived in a car and used a portable restoration beam gun to restore the werewolf. The six of us then sent Takaaki back to the hospital.

"In the hospital ward," the six of us gathered around Takaaki's hospital bed, waiting for the doctor's diagnosis. The door opened, and a doctor with a serious expression, holding a report. Miyako anxiously asked, "Doctor, how is Takaaki doing!?" The doctor smiled and said, "Don't worry! He's doing very well! And his long-standing illness has started to improve slowly.

He'll be able to leave the hospital in a few days! Even the surgery we planned for him can be avoided now! It's truly a medical miracle! However, through the examination, we also found a slight electric current in Takaaki's body, which seems to be the key to his recovery." Miyako hugged the sleeping Takaaki with tears streaming down her face: "That's wonderful!"

Electricity!? Could it be because of Boomer's thunder? After the doctor left, the five of us realized that Kagami was missing! I suddenly noticed a piece of paper stuffed into my hand. On it was written, "Wishing you happiness." I crumpled up the paper: "That idiot!"

Rustle~ The rain continued to fall, and a blond boy walked in the rain. The heavy rain soaked his whole body, but he didn't care. The streaks of water on his face were indistinguishable from rain or tears.

Heh, it turned out that he was still far less important in the heart of the girl he admired than her first love. When did he start having such feelings for her? Obviously, their initial positions were still hostile to each other.

In her heart, he was probably just a dispensable existence. Anyway, it was just wishful thinking.

So it turns out that her kindness toward him was probably out of pity. He, too, possessed the pride and dignity of a samurai . Rather than being pitied, disappearing from her sight would be the best answer.

The boy took out a small box from his pocket, looking at this gift that he couldn't give away, his heart was full of mixed feelings.

As he walked past the entrance of a large mansion, Suddenly, the boy's body lost balance and fell down. He thought to himself, "Damn it! I used up too much energy just now, it's even hard to stand!" Just before he lost consciousness, he caught a glimpse of the nameplate on the mansion's door, which read: "Gotokuji." The blond boy then collapsed...

At this moment, a figure appeared in front of the unconscious Kagami: "Oh dear~ this child..."

5-3

"Hospital Entrance"

The rain showed no signs of weakening.

I spoke first, "That idiot, probably feeling rejected, is likely heading back to Kyoto. We need to find him first!"

Giving Miyako a glare, I immediately earned the "reward" from both Momoko and Kaoru (each stepping on one of my feet), who exclaimed in unison, "What's with that look!?"

"Ow!" That hurt! Why step on me so hard for no reason?! And with both feet!

"..." Miyako remained silent.

"Anyway, let's try calling him on his phone first."Shigeru diffused the awkward atmosphere, and I took out my iPhone and dialed the number.

Ring~ Ring~ Ring~ "Hello~"

"Hello? This is the Gotokuji," a gentle and kind voice sounded in my ear, a voice that sounded old but full of magnetism.

"I'm sorry, I think I called the wrong number while trying to reach my brother." Strange, the number isn't wrong!

But how did I end up calling Miyako's house?!

Just as I was about to hang up, that voice said, "Your friend has a raging temperature!"

Huh? Did I mishear? But thirty seconds later, I confirmed that I hadn't made a mistake. "Okay, please hold on!"

So I handed the phone to Miyako, "It's your grandma!"

Miyako was taken aback for a moment, then took the phone, "Hello, Grandma, it's me, Miyako."

"What did you say!? Raging temperature! Yes... I'll be back immediately!"

I already knew the situation earlier, so the four of us immediately followed Miyako home.

" Gotokuji house"

Kagami, who was on the verge of collapse, lay in the bedroom. Honestly, it was the first time I had seen him so weak.

After Mrs Kiyoko changed the wet towel for Kagami, she called us into the tatami room and told us the whole story, "Not long ago, this child suddenly collapsed at our doorstep... The rain was so heavy, and he had a high fever, so I had to bring him inside first. After taking medicine, his condition improved a bit."

I added, "The one lying over there is my friend called Kagami."

Shigeru expressed gratitude and bowed, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Kiyoko!"

Kiyoko smiled, "It's a trivial matter. Also, Miyako, you should have something to say, right?"

We all immediately looked at Miyako.

Miyako took a deep breath, "...Actually, Takaaki will soon be going abroad with his parents for recuperation, and he already has someone he likes..."

As soon as Momoko heard this, she immediately interrupted, "Huh?! Is that true?"

Kaoru and I gave her a stern look, and Miyako continued, "At that time, I was sad for a while, but looking at it from another perspective, he has found a new partner, and I have decided to silently bless him."

"It wasn't until then that I realized who truly cared for me... When we were in the basement of Hishimeko's house, if it weren't for his help, I might have been dead..."

After chatting for a while, Kiyoko, fearing that Kagami might have a fever again, decided to take care of him until he recovered completely. Shigeru and I expressed our gratitude repeatedly, then left with Momoko and Kaoru.

At this moment, the rain finally stopped, and the four of us continued on our way back.

"Will Kagami be okay?" Momoko asked me with a worried look on her face.

I replied calmly, "Don't worry, that guy may be silly, but he won't be in trouble from just a cold like this!"

As we walked, we reached a crossroads, and we parted ways there, saying, "Goodbye~"

"Late Night" - ""Gotokuji house"

Kiyoko: "Hmm~ I should get up and change Kagami's wet towel." So Kiyoko got up and went to Kagami's bedroom.

As she opened the door, she heard a sound, so she didn't fully open it, leaving only a small gap. In that moment, she smiled.

Because she saw her precious granddaughter tenderly changing the wet towel for a boy of similar age, her careful movements undoubtedly filled with tenderness and care.

Miyako held Kagami's hand like a loving mother, "You must get better soon... Kagami..."

Kiyoko chuckled and returned to her room.

"The Next Day"

Kagami, who was recovering from his illness, crawled out of bed, "Phew~ I slept so well!"

But Kagami was shocked to see Miyako sleeping on the table, just waking up from his daze, he exclaimed, "Could it be... Miyako stayed up all night to take care of me?"

Feeling touched, Kagami picked up Miyako and carried her to her room, luckily, the beauty in his arms wasn't awakened.

"Thank you, Miyako." Kagami placed a box and a note from his pocket on the bedside table and left quietly.

Miyako opened her eyes and woke up, "Huh? Why am I in bed? I was sleeping on the table in the next room..." As she puzzled over this, her eyes fell on the bedside table.

"What's this?" Miyako picked up the note, "Thank you, Miyako. I've fully recovered. This must suit you well. Happy Birthday!"

After reading it, she unwrapped the box. Inside was a dazzling hair clip. After clipping it on, Miyako's face was filled with a happy smile, "I will cherish it!"

Ding dong~

The doorbell rang, and I went to open the door. Well done! You finally came back!

Kagami looked lively, "I've recovered!"

I squeezed out a smile, "Great!"

Now it's time to settle the accounts!

"How many days until the next allowance?" Shigeru asked.

"Five days!" Kagami, without fear, answered honestly. I took out a bill from the most expensive jewelry store in Tokyo and a nearly empty passbook, "You dare to spend all our monthly allowance on girls!?"

Seeing his deeds exposed, Kagami put on an innocent smile, "Um... I can explain..."

"Prepare yourself!" Shigeru cracked his knuckles, making a series of cracking sounds.

"Wow!" On Sunday morning, a high-end residential area in Tokyo echoed with horrifying screams. Kagami got a beating from us...