Reito opened his eyes, his vision that was at first blurry began to focus, giving him view of an unfamiliar ceiling. "Not my place...or Shion's. The hospital, huh?" He thought to himself. He found himself hooked to an IV. Bandages wrapped around his body up to his neck. Blue patient scrubs equipped to his figure. All he could smell was medicine, which made him think of a drug store. He rose to get a better look at his surroundings while wincing.
"My body still hurts like hell...damn Meat Tank, I coulda been halfway into a game of Street Fighter by now. My arm's in some pain, but it's not busted anymore, what kinda medicine was I on? Turning his head to the left, he spotted his best friend leaning against the wall.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty~," She joked while smirking at the boy, "enjoy your nap?"
"Callin' it a nap is way too generous. How long was I out for?"
"More than half a day. Not that bad, considering you're used to sleeping in anyway. And, thanks to the Health Capsules that are produced in bulk nowadays, that broken arm of yours that would've laid you out for a couple of weeks should be better in a day. I don't really know the specifics of it, but taking one of 'em makes recovery super speedy.
"Thank you society I guess. On the other hand," he shot her an unamused look. "I knew you'd get like this if I used it, shoulda just thrown the fight."
"You say that, but you were really something out there, Rei."
"Just wish I would've learned a bit more about the old lady's fighting style. At first I thought I could manage with the little I picked up. But in the end, I had to end up relying on my Impact... Damn it."
"Don't beat yourself up about it. I'm sure Ms. Mitsuki's proud of you for trying to implement Retribution Fist the way you did. Gotta admit, you actually looked pretty cool out there," she told him.
"Yeah yeah. As if I'd give her the pleasure of knowing I was gettin' any use out of her style."
Reito paused after his statement and pondered on what Shizuka just told him with a worried expression as he broke into a nervous sweat.
"H-hey. You...didn't actually tell Granny about the fight did you?"
As he looked back toward the girl, she turned her head to the right and looked up at the corner of the room. "W-well. I maaaay or may not have let her know over the phone a couple of hours ago... Maybe!"
Reito lowered his eyelids. "...If I wasn't already regrettin' anything that went down a while ago, I'm 100% committin' to the idea now." Reito sighed. "Hopefully she's not so excited she gets a heart attack or somethin. By the way, I expected to be poked at and prodded when I came to. Have ya seen an annoyin' midget ninja with yellow hair around?"
"You're talking about Evie, right? After everyone but us left, she grabbed Zeno'o and left But she did tell me to hit her up when you got dispatched."
"Well, at least I get a break. The more time I can spend away from her the better. Two seconds with her felt like an eternity. Although, as far as people go...she's alright. Don't tell her I said that though, please. The last thing I need is to give her more fuel for her fire." He said, flopping back in his hospital bed.
Shizuka pretended to seal her mouth shut. "Lips sealed," suddenly, her phone began to vibrate, emitting a pop rock jingle.
"At this hour? Who is it?"
The girl picked it up. "Hello? Oh! Yeah, he's awake, and can speak just fine. One sec, here he is," she handed the phone over to her friend who accepted it begrudgingly.
"Who wants the discomfort of speakin' to me?"
"Hiya, little Reito, how are you?!" A womanly enthusiastic voice answered.
"Not dead at least. Speaking of, you're still alive, huh, ya old foggy?"
"Don't count me out just yet! I'm still as strong and lively as 100 oxen put together!" She laughed, with a hardy Nyahaha. "In any case, congratulations! Your first fight in Capital City, and a win on one of the Student Council is no small feat! When Shizuka told me about what happened, my heart nearly burst! And using my style no less. So you have thought about promoting my dojo, eh?"
Reito closed his eyes. "I didn't say anything about bein a walkin' advertisement. Besides, If I got a different Path entirely I would've never thought once about usin' Retribution.
"Don't you see?! That's just it! Being gifted Delayed Impact, and having the best Aura master in the world! It's fate, I tell you! Come on, Reito, didn't the thrill of battle bring out something that you never thought you'd experience!?" His Grandma asked.
The boy thought back to the fight hours ago. Despite the constant state of alert he was in and the struggle of trying to maintain his composure, maybe he had started to feel a rush. Or even happiness, or excitement? He wasn't quite sure.
Maybe...there were times when I felt full of energy. I couldn't wait to throw the next punch, or see what the Meat Tank was gonna dish out. I wasn't shakin' because I was afraid, It was- "Call me crazy but, at times, I felt like I was havin' fun. The pressure, and the anticipation, didn't feel half bad. A battle...so that's what it's like...huh, Granny?"
"Oh," she teased, "do I sense a hint of excitement in your tone? Where's your famous monotone rebuttal?"
His face heated up slightly. "W-what I mean is, if I have to hear my heartbeat poundin in my ear 24/7 from adrenaline, then hell no! I'm not doin' crap for your dojo-"
"So you'll sleep on it? Great, I knew I could at least get you to think about it! Well, I'll leave you to your recovery. If you die before I do, I'll never forgive you! Sayonara~!"
Before he could even respond. She had deciphered what he really meant and ended the call. "Wai- Damn it! She never listens to me!"
"Calm down, Rei, I'm sure she means well. Although her methods are a little...pushy."
Reito raised an eyebrow to his friend. "A little? She showers me with her version of affection like I'm some hapless little kid. When I was 11, she put me through all sorts of weird training regimens. Not to mention-"
"I know, I know, the constant spars whenever you go to visit. Can you blame her? Considering you're, y'know, you."
"Ya give her too much credit." Reito looked up. Although, her Retribution Fist is a big help. And for that matter, there's still the matter of me promotin' the dojo... Eh, I'll think about it over a drink. Ya know what they say, ya do your best thinkin' when you're slammed!"
She put her head in her hands, sighing. "And here I thought you had a moment of sensibility... You're a real piece of work..."
***
The two began making their way to Reito's living quarters at the Kita complex. Reito stretches his right arm over his head. His glasses are gone, thanks to the prior battle. He donned contacts, and wore a white T-shirt under a blue and white unbuttoned button down shirt.
"Finally! Man, bein hospitalized is the worst. I couldn't imagine bein' in there for more than a day. The food was probably the best thing about it, no doubt."
"What do you expect when you piss off one of the Student Council? You're lucky you didn't suffer any major injuries or come out with any scars."
"Actually, I do have somethin' like that.."
"Where!? The doctor didn't mention anyt-"
"Do internal scars count? Pretty sure I have one somewhere in me from having actually interacted with others."
She jabbed him in the arm. "Jerk! You actually had me worried there!"
"I'll admit, that might've been a bit poorly rimed. Damn, if ya hit me one more time, I'll find myself back in the bandages in no time," he told her, wincing from the punch.
"Come on, with as many of my punches you've taken, that should be nothing." She said while turning away from him with an annoyed look. "Scan in already."
"No problems with that." Reito placed his hand on the scanner. The door recognized his print in seconds.
After that, the two entered the living quarters. "Ah. Now this is the crummy setup I'm used to, I never wanna leave again," he stated in a satisfied tone while diving onto his bed.
"You've definitely made it your own, that's for sure. Actually, because of your win, you've got better living conditions coming your way. This weekend should be the last time you'll live on the lower floors."
Reito sat up. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I get a bigger weekly stipend to live on as well." He took a look around the place he had inhabited for about a month.
"Gotta say, I'm gonna miss the place. Buuut, think of all the stuff I could buy! 1200 Glint a week was fine and all, but now, I bet I'll be rollin' in entertainment!"
The girl facepalmed. "They really should've put a limit on what you can buy... Lemme borrow your bathroom for a sec, gotta take a quick shower."
"Sure, just bring it back when you're done," he joked as his phone began to ring and vibrate. He reached into his pocket to retrieve it. "Huh, who th- Don't tell me it's Granny again?" Checking the phone, the name Evie was displayed on the screen, much to Reito's confusion. "The hell? When did she-"
"You sure you don't have any brain damage? Before she left, she told me you guys already exchanged contact info." Shizuka enlightened him, as she shut the bathroom door."
"Tch," he clicked his tongue, reluctantly answering the phone. "Ya got Reito."
"How's it going, Tochi? Glad to see you're still alive!"
"Yeah, super lucky am I right~~? Cut the crap, hobbit! There's no way in hell I legitimately gave you a way to get in touch with me!"
" It's your own fault y'know. If you weren't so slow, you would've noticed that I snagged your phone for a second. Pretty nin-nin, huh?"
"Also a major invasion of privacy.She's not Shion scary, but she's somethin," he muttered, knowing Shizuka wouldn't approve if he said that outloud. Instead, Reito muttered "Sure, you're the coolest. Anyway, what are ya up to, you've got some weird trick planned, right?"
"Awww, what gave it away?"
"Call it a hunch."
"In any case, no trick, just a little gift I have planned for you. Trust me, you're gonna regret it if you refuse!"
Reito sighed. "Well you'd end up givin' it to me anyway...so why not, surprise me," he gave in, dreading her response as he heard the pitter patter of footsteps. "Hey...still there?... Evie?" A knock on his door followed, making him turn his head with a sigh. "...Here we go again...I guess," he got up, walking to the door, opening it with a stunning lack of enthusiasm. "What the hell is- It?!"On the other side of the open door was his recently acquired "friend" Evie. But to his surprise, she wore a completely different style.
She had let her hair down, and her blond locks came down to her about half way down her back. And she adopted a maid headband. In fact, She was in a maid's outfit as well. It had short sleeves. The dress stopped inches above her knee, whilst on her legs there were black stockings. She spun and stopped to form a heart shape with her hands.
"Tadaaaa! The power of cuteness compels you~~! Hope you're ready to have your heart melted by Magical Mystical Maid Evie~~!"
Reito blinked 3 times and swiftly closed the door. "I'm...just seein' things...right? I mean, my head seems okay at least, no brain damage," he worried, grabbing his head while another string of knocks hit the door.
Opening it again, he closed his eyes and slowly opened them only to realize the sight wasn't just in his head.
"I guess you really were shocked. I figured you would at least try to give off "Hpmh, like I care." vibe. But you're a guy at heart after all, and it's scientifically proven that guys can't resist a cute maid~"
Reito stammered, understandably confused. "W-What? Don't be stupid! Who told ya to swing by in the first place?!" He asked, his eyes darting around every so often, trying to refrain from scanning her up and down.
"Shizu invited me. You guys were gonna celebrate with drinks, right? I've never really had any alcohol before, but it sounded like something I couldn't pass up." she said, skipping past the embarrassed Reito.
That's what she calls Shion? He thought.
He reluctantly followed her in as she stopped at his bedside and sat on the floor.
"She's takin a shower, it'd be better if we waited on her before we cracked open the first round," he turned to the girl who was looking at him with stars in her eyes and innocent smile, patting the space next to her.
He was still a bit cautious when it came to her, not that her intent was malicious or anything. He just didn't want to be on the receiving end of a prank if she happened to pull on "What's she plottin'...?" Was the thought that crossed his mind. He sat down next to her.
"Congrats on beating Kara, Tochi. For a second there, I thought you were done for, but that Path of yours really pulled you through."
"Wasn't tryna show it off, and I would've preferred if I didn't have to use it in the first place. To most, it may look powerful, but there's a hell of a lotta setup. If I didn't have a specific set of circumstances go down, it would've been over. To be honest, the fight mentally exhausted me more than physically."
He felt hands grab his face. "Mental exhaustion, hmm? Well, just leave it to Evie. I happen to know the perfect remedy for a stressed mind. With that prompt, she brought Reito's head to her lap, using it as a surrogate pillow.
Reito's face entered a deep blush as he tried to assess the situation. "....Huh? ...Huuuuuuuhh?!!"
"Shhhhh, don't scream, you're supposed to focus on resting. Now's the time to relax, see~? She gave him a wink.
"That besides the point! Don't ya feel any shame!?"
"Hmm...nope! Things like shame ultimately get in the way of my lifestyle. It's better to just have fun and roll with things, no? Besides, I thought you deserved a bit of a reward for such a big first win. Something small would've been nice in the moment, but I thought about seeing all flustered and freaked out, and I couldn't resist. The way you get all flustered reminds me of a friend of mine on the Council."
"GRAAGGHHH! SO YA ARE JUST MESSIN WITH ME!
"Guess I made the right choice," she giggled. Still, aren't you happy? I've read that receiving a lap pillow from an adorable maid is every man's dream!"
He calmed down a bit, closed his eyes, and moved his head so that the left side of it was resting on the girl's lap. "A man's most sought after pleasure is probably ten thousand times more lewd...but this is a close fourth or fifth. Still, if I had to choose a reward for you to give me, I'd just want you to teach me ninjutsu or somethin'."
"If it's ninjutsu you want, I could teach you something like that. Cloaking your presence shouldn't be that hard. Ah. But considering you look so plain, you're practically unnoticeable already!" She teased with a gasp. "Maybe I should take lessons from you!"
"...You get some kinda sick kick off of messin' with me, don't ya?"
"Aww, don't think of it that way. It's just really funny seeing your reactions."
"THAT'S BASICALLY THE SAME THING!"
"....." Shizuka stood at the front of the room they were in, staring at the two with a judgemental straight face. She was wearing a loose fitting white t-shirt with a pair of fleece shorts that came down to inches above her knee, with her hair a bit wet.
"Shizu! Good to see you again! Wow, you're even cuter after a shower~!"
"Glad to see you two are having fun... Although...it looks like one of you is having more than the other."
Reito instantly rose up with a hard blush on his face. "Shion! Look, this wasn't my idea, I'm not even really enjoyin' it!"
"Uh huh, I'm sure your dorky smile and blushing face are a sign that you just hate lying in a girl's lap then?"
"This is just the natural response, any guy would react this way!" He defended, covering his face.
"You...weren't enjoying it?" Evie asked, staring at him with a frown.
"Are you kiddin' me, of course I was! Compared to a regular pillow, your thighs are like a literal Cloud 9!"
Evie brought her hands together and lit up, feeling accomplished. The purple haired girl then took out a beer can and brought it down on his head with enough force to alert him, but not enough to injure him either.
"Why would I get mad over something like that? You're a guy after all. If I kicked your ass for this, it'd be like kicking a dog for burying a bone," she said, giving him the can.
He'd fully expected her to send him flying, but she was pretty unfazed by it. "I guess a can to the head ain't a bad trade for being sent to the ICU," he snarked. Good thing I'm not a rom-com protag, otherwise, she would've kicked my ass by now!
She then turned her gaze towards Evie. "As for you...try not to feed into his instincts. Being lazy is one thing, but if he ends up becoming some super deluded mega perv, it would be way too much for anyone to handle."
Evie gave a thumbs up. "Can do, Shizu! As long as a normal level of perversion will do, it's a deal," the last part being said in her head.
"Now that that's out of the way, let's see if ya can hold your liquor," the boy said, tossing a different beer to Evie who caught it with both hands. "Not bad. Now let's see how much ya can drink!" I can't stand the taste of straight beer, someone as childish as her should reject it instantly. It'll be hilarious! He went on, keeping that last part to himself.
She cracked the can open and began to slowly drink her fill, but unlike he expected, she had a look of pure content on her face "Woah, strong! So this is a raw beer? It has a great taste!"
Reito experienced pure bafflement. "You, how're ya- What the?! How the hell are ya drinkin' that stuff without spittin' it out?!"
Evie tilted her head in confusion. "Isn't that how you're supposed to drink it? It's just like a ginger-ale without the sugar."
"Wow, you're way better at handling it straight than Rei is, imagine that!" She laughed
Annoyed at her nonchalant response, he opened the can in his hand and began to slowly drink it's contents. But each passing second, he began to gag, more and more. Only about a quarter through the drink he was barely holding back the urge of vomiting.
"Hey Rei! You okay?! Why in the world didn't you just mix it with something!?"
After swallowing reluctantly, he flew into a coughing fit. Shizuka patted his back until he began to speak again. "Seriously?! How the hell can you stand that shit without mixin' it?! It's awful!"
"I don't get it, it's nothing special right? Can you handle it, Shizu?"
"Yeah, I've got no problem with it. he's just always rejected it, like his body just doesn't mesh with 'em."
"Damn it! This time for sure!" He tried again, but the same result followed. Reito hung his head in defeat with his hands holding him up and his knees on the ground. "Bullshit! She jokes around like it's just breathin', but she can handle that stuff!? I can't believe it, if I'm dreamin', someone, please pinch me- No, punch me!"
He felt a tap on his shoulder causing him to turn around to the sight of his best friend handing him a bottle of pink lemonade.
"This is a battle you can't win, buddy. Maybe next time."
"She's right, Tochi, I'm sure the next time you drink, you'll be able to down a can no problem!"
"...Ya know, hearin' that from ya somehow makes it even worse on me... Argh, fine, gimme the damn thing!" He swiped the beverage and began to pour some into the can and swish it around to create a drink that he could better tolerate.
While he was busy with that, the yellow haired girl finished the can she had gotten. "Ahhh, that was great! Another please!"
"ARE YA KIDDIN' ME?!
***
After their first drink, Reito remembered something he had on his mind. "Oh yeah, what happened to Meat tank, I'm assumin' ya left with him, right?" He asked, turning toward Evie.
"Kara? Well, after he woke up from being knocked out, he went on and on about how exciting the fight between you two was for him! He said stuff along the lines of 'Damn that guy!' She imitated in the gruffest tone she could make. 'he doesn't take the Academy seriously at all, but I can't help but respect him as a fighter, he kicked my ass good!' "...All while smiling, probably the second biggest one I've ever seen him make."
Reito took a sip of his drink with a smirk. "What an idiot, what kinda guy gets happy about losin'?"
"That's a Student Council member for you, Among a whole school of hundreds of Path users, they're the cream of the crop when it comes to weirdos, present company notwithstanding." Shizuka explained, pointing to the other girl.
"I see it as a compliment, thanks a bunch!" Evie gave a thumbs up. "His stay at the hospital turned out to be a bit longer than yours, so I couldn't invite him to drink with us. Not that he would've even accepted the offer. The second his injuries healed, he went straight to his training. When I left, he was doing one handed handstand push ups and going 'I've gotta get ten times as strong. The way I am now, I deserve to be booted from the Student Council! First, I gotta get my rank back. No, I'll go even higher than that!' The nurses tried to stop him, but he kept pushing himself."
"He's gonna break if he pushes himself like that. Why is he so hellbent to rank so high in the schools anyway? Even if the number one ranked at Minami gets some kinda special reward, it can't be that great, can it?"
Evie raised an eyebrow to the question. "Come on Tochi, you read the invitation to the City, and you didn't even see what you're attending for? You must've told him, didn't you Shizu?"
Shizuka rubbed the back of her head. "Well, with him being you know, Rei, as he is, I didn't think he'd be all that interested in something like that."
"Funny thing about that, hehe," Reito chuckled sheepily, looking to the side and sweating a bit, "I skimmed the letter down to the point where it mentioned the stipend we were given along with the livin' space. After I saw that, and the conversion rate from Yen to Glint, I had nothin' on my mind except "get to Capital City" y'know?"
Shizuka face palmed, while Evie gave a slight chuckle. "I didn't expect such one track mind from you. Not a bad thing, but, if you wanna be the King, you should probably start reading into every detail."
King?! He thought, going wide eyed. I remember skimmin' the letter and reading something about the Number 1 Pathos, but... "Wait...what're ya-"
"Well Tochi," Evie interrupted, "the C.C.C.A.S [Capital City Cuatro Academy System], was established for the purpose of not only putting Pathos into a space where they can come to control their abilities through combat, but also, for the choosing of the next ruler of Capital City!"
Upon hearing this info that he had avoided for his whole time spent in the City, Reito stood up. "Huuuh?! Seriously!? Shion, you knew about this?"
"What do I look like, an idiot? Of course I knew. I just thought you wouldn't care about a position like that, considering you'd be the center of attention that the entire city relies on."
Reito's mouth began to form a conniving grin. "That can't be further from the truth! Matter of fact, it's the answer to all my problems! If I become king, I can close myself off from the rest of the world! I'd hafta decree new laws and junk, yeah, but I can get a stand in for those sorta things! And when I get put into the position, I can give Granny's dojo tons of word of mouth publicity, so I'll have her off my back too! This is the chance of a lifetime!"
Evie leaned over to whisper into Shizuka's ear as he stood up, enamored with his realization. "Tochi...sounds like a major dummy there... He knows it's not that easy, right?"
"Eh, let him dream. It's been awhile since I've seen him this motivated, not like he can just quit if that time ever comes anyway." She said while finishing the rest of her drink.
"Can do. Besides, looking at him now, he's kinda funny. He acts all stone cold and laid back, but seeing him now, he's like a little kid getting his first toy, don'tcha think?"
"No comment," Shizuka sipped her drink.
"Hey you two, less talkin', more chuggin', let's do it up, big! Shion, we're gonna need some of your cookin', if you'd be so kind."
"Huh? Why the hell do I have to?!" She rebutted. "Don't act like you've never cooked before, you handle it!"
He put his arm up to his chest while backing up with his eyes closed nonchalantly as if he was used to the response.
"Aw, that's too bad...and here I was looking forward to Shizu's cooking." the short girl sulked, rubbing her arm.
"Come on, do ya really wanna disappoint her, a crying maid'll ruin the mood. Your food is one of the Seven Wonders Of The World, missin' out on it's basically a sin...please?"
"Really? Well seeing as you're talking it up so much, Now I'm super excited to try it!" Evie said, looking toward Shizuka.
Seeing as she was outnumbered in the situation by compliments from the two in the room with her, she quickly turned around to hide a smile from the two. "Alright already! Just shut up about it!"
"Woohoo! Shion, Shion!"
"Shizu, Shizu!" The two chanted in unison while fist pumping.
"Don't get too excited, I'll pull the majority of the weight, but you two have to help too!" She demanded while pointing at them.
The sound of crickets flowed into the dorm from outside, becoming the all they could hear as Reito and Evie just went silent.
"Boooo," they whined, sighing.
"Don't give me that!"
Shizuka brought out pots, pans, carrots, potatoes and rice, and the three prepared to cook their meal, moonlight coming through the window as howls from dogs filled the air of Capital City.