Kouta woke up in the bed. He held his head. "Argh, I got a headache..."
Marie turned around. "You're up."
Kouta sat up. He looked around. "Where's Yumi?"
"She's walking around the building, said that she had to clear her mind."
Kouta looked to his left out the window. He squinted. "I feel it again..."
"Feel what?"
Kouta was pale. "I don't know...but it hurts."
Kouta could see the white trails flowing past his head once again. This time they were accompanied by shrill screams. His breathing accelerated as sweat fell from his brow.
"Kouta!!" Marie exclaimed.
Kouta jolted. He looked at her. "What?!"
Marie sat back. "I was calling you! You spaced out."
Kouta looked down at the sheets.
"Try to calm down."
Kouta nodded. "Right. How long was I out?"
"Few hours."
He got out of bed. "Okay, then that's enough resting. I gotta go. Can you let Yumi stay here for now? I'd really appreciate it."
Marie crossed her arms. "This isn't a hotel you know... Honestly... Fine. But only because you're asking. Nobody else, got it?"
Kouta ran out the room. "Thanks!"
As he ran down the hall he ran into Yumi.
"Where are you going?" she asked him.
"Don't worry about me. You'll be safe here. At least for now. I'll be back."
Yumi reached out to him and gave him a tight hug. "Don't do anything crazy okay? You have to make it back. Promise me."
Kouta let go. "I promise." He passed through the wall and dropped down.
Yumi walked into room 9-J. Marie was leaning against the wall by the door.
"You're awfully fond of Kouta I see."
Yumi's face turned red. "Fond? What are you getting at here? We're just friends, it's been like that forever..."
Marie smiled. She walked back to her chair. "Men like that attract women you know, they're one in a million. Do you really feel like you two should remain just friends?"
Yumi sat on the bed. "I mean, it's Kouta. He always used to have this sarcastic side of him where he would always say weird things, but he's so serious now... It's like looking at a whole different person. I just...I don't know anymore. I can't tell who he is on the inside."
Yumi suddenly got a hold of herself. "And you're not my therapist!!"
Marie laughed. "I know, I know. But you can talk to me about anything, I don't spill secrets."
Yumi let herself smile just a little. "Thanks."
--
Kouta went to go visit Shinya. He made it to his office room on the top floor.
Shinya was looking out the window into the bright city of Tokyo. The entire wall he was facing were all windows. It had a calming aesthetic to it.
"So you came." he said without looking back.
Kouta walked into the room. "Why did you tell Saki to take my powers away?"
Shinya continued looking out the window. "Was but a test. I already knew that it wouldn't work. Kouta. Do you know why I decided to let you live that day?"
"No. I don't."
Shinya smirked. "My fortune predicted that it would be wise to allow you to continue living for a bit longer."
Kouta frowned. "Fortune? There's someone who can do that?"
Shinya turned around. "Yeah. Me. It's a vector that I stole."
Kouta swallowed.
Shinya raised his hands. "Amazing isn't it? I can tell the future as far as I want. But I don't go too far. I don't want to spoil my life."
He turned back around staring outside. "When I was sixteen, there was this lady who was known to be able to predict the future with one hundred percent accuracy. I decided to go, and she told me that one day I'd be the most powerful man in Tokyo. I thought she was crazy and ignored it until I saw her prediction becoming reality. So I went again. This time she told me that I'd be killed by the most powerful man in Tokyo. So I killed her. Can you imagine that?"
Kouta didn't know what to think. Abe Shinya was telling him about his past. But why?
Shinya turned to face him. "Do you want to know your future?"
Kouta thought on it. "No."
Shinya laughed. "That's the smart answer. Fate is already decided once you see it. Seeing the future confirms it. I've just now seen your future. So it's set in stone regardless of what you do. But at your request I won't tell you anything. This is how I've stayed at the top for so long. I'm always seven steps ahead of everyone else in this world. I'm invincible."
Kouta spoke up. "I don't get it. Is this why you wanted me here?"
Shinya sat down. He folded his hands. "No, I just started rambling in the spur of the moment. It was in my future. I called you here to tell you that tomorrow you'll be introduced to the Black Dragons, a group of four. I'd like you to get acquaintanced with them. They'll meet you at the top of this building. That's all."
Kouta wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead he just left the room without saying another word.
Upon leaving he thought that he should go see Kasumi. She was also wanted by the TPD. He couldn't save Yumi and leave Kasumi all by herself.
He got to her house and rang the doorbell. There was no answer.
Kouta put his hands on his hips. "Is she sleeping?"
He rang the doorbell again. No answer.
Then he began to see the white wispy trails again. He looked over at his house. Someone was inside.
Kouta didn't bother opening the door. He passed through it. He looked around his first floor. Then he made his way upstairs. The white trails slowly dissipated. He quickly swung his room door open.
Kasumi screamed.
Kouta stared at her blankly. "Kasumi."
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?" he said flatly.
Kasumi started playing with her hair nervously. "Ah. You see, um... The investigator is still after me, so I decided that it'd be okay to sit in here for a night or two... And then you came in and scared the living hell out of me but I'm okay."
Kouta pinched the bridge of his nose. "You had me thinking something was wrong in here."
Kasumi laughed nervously. "Sorry, sorry."
Kouta looked around the room. He crouched down on his feet. "You're the only person to have ever been in my room other than me. Well, a person that's not trying to kill me."
Kasumi seemed surprised at that fact. "Really? That's hard to believe. I thought Yumi was over here remember? First week of school?"
Kouta shook his head. "She stayed downstairs. I don't like showing people my room."
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Well do I need a reason? It's just...my room. It's peaceful, and quiet."
Kasumi gazed around the room. The blue walls had a comforting feel to them, along with the carpet on the floor, which felt warm through her socks. She curled up tighter to the wall, a soft smile on her face. "Yeah...it is peaceful."
Kouta fell back, laying down and staring at the ceiling.
"Hey, Kouta." Kasumi said.
"Hm?"
"Do you ever think about Taku?"
Kouta frowned. "Yeah. Everyday. It still hurts, just a little bit, even if it was so long ago."
Tears streamed down Kasumi's face.
Kouta turned his head. "Why are you crying? It's not that sad."
Kasumi shook her head. "I can't take it anymore, the guilt is eating away at me! How can you stand to be around me? I treated you like an idiot for so long, and then I got you in big trouble with a whole group of bad people, and now your life is just all messed up! Why don't you hate me?!"
Kouta sat up. He stayed quiet to let Kasumi get her cry out for a little. Then he spoke. "Kasumi. You're my best friend right?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
Kouta stood up. "Alright then. There's nothing you could do to make me hate you. We've known each other since forever, and you were always there for me. My life was messed up way before any of this ever happened, so stop blaming yourself."
Kouta heard whispers in his ear. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but the white trails began moving all over the place, but much more chaotic now.
Kouta grabbed Kasumi and picked her up. He looked around.
"What are you doing?" she asked him, still wiping tears from her face.
Kouta looked at her for a second and couldn't help but smile. "You're so cute when you cry."
They both heard what sounded like a loud spark.
boom!!
The entire house exploded with a bang. Flames and smoke went up in the air.