Toya was in critical condition, but thanks to Junko's unrealistic level of medical technology, she was completely cured in four days.
Toya started going to school as soon as she was cured.
"I have already said goodbye to Akira."
Akira was surprised and looked lonely, but he didn't try to stop Touya. On the contrary, Touya was concerned that he had a somewhat guilty look on his face.
In that conversation three years ago, what Toya thought at that time became a reality. Moreover, the one who pulled the trigger was none other than Touya. I decided to walk a different path from Akira.
He's still wondering if this was the right thing for him.
On the other hand, he remembers Junko's words. She said that if she was in doubt, she should stop.
And Toya peers into her deathbed, and she deeply regrets that she fell into the back alley. Toya accepts that this must be her true feelings, and decides to return to her ordinary, peaceful and boring life by herself.
It's not like Akira was completely alone. After he entered junior high school, he seemed to have had a good relationship with the opposite sex, and his distrust of people seemed to have improved. That being said, it didn't seem like the relationship with the opposite sex was just superficial, just for the sake of eroticism...
Above all, Akira had found someone other than Toya who could be recognized. Makoto Aizawa, a legendary student of Anrakuji Junior High School. Akira seems to have admired the character, having only heard the anecdote before he saw it, and he is still in love with it after seeing it in person.
Akira's nostalgia for Makoto at the Yukioka Research Institute was something that Toya often didn't like watching from his side, but now he feels a little relieved.
"Hey Shibatani, didn't you fall into the back alley~?"
The delinquent, who had previously been shot at by making fun of Akira and was half-bad, now teased Toya, who spent her free time alone during recess. He seems to have a personality that can't help but mess around as usual, and he doesn't seem to have the ability to learn.
Thinking that he was just like that blade, Touya remembered the idiot he didn't want to remember and let out a sigh.
He punches the ugly face of the delinquent without any hesitation, but with the intention of taking it easy enough.
After a feeling of cracking bones, his opponent collapsed with blood splattering from his face like a fountain.
"Acha..."
Toya frowned at the obvious mistake.
The teacher rushed over and yelled at him, but Touya just gave him a disinterested glance. Perhaps he was overwhelmed by Toya's overly brazen demeanor, or perhaps he instinctively sensed some danger, the teacher yelled for a while, then frowned and quickly left the classroom.
In Toya's eyes, the stupid delinquents, the classmates who were terrified of repelling them, and the teachers who scolded them were all rubbish.
Toya decided that the back streets were not suitable for him and washed his feet, but the moment he returned to his daily life, he was attacked by an indescribable sense of fatigue and emptiness. It's stifling and boring. The extraordinary days she spent with Junko and Makoto were vividly burned into Toya's brain, so she felt that way all the more.
Akira was originally the only friend of Touya's, so the thought of being alone during lunch break and after school made me feel heavy.
I remembered the words Rin said. A black light was shining, and it just disappeared. It's true that I no longer have hatred or despair inside me, but apart from the time when my heart was burning with black fire, I can definitely feel that a black craving is wavering inside me.
she doesn't suit me he didn't want it. In that case, Junko told her that she should stop, and even though she thought so herself and came back to this side, Touya's heart wavered.
"What a sad face you have."
"Owaaaaaaaaa!"
Before she knew it, Touya was surprised when Akira, who was wearing a school uniform, called out to her right next to her.
"What the heck! Haven't you already quit school!?"
"Well, I tried selling it on a back street site as a freelance cleaner, but for some reason I didn't get any requests at all.
The usual cheerful and cheerful Akira. Even though they hadn't seen each other for a few days, it felt like they had been apart for a really long time, and Touya felt something hot welling up in his chest.
(As for me, after making a painful decision, I was going to part ways, but is this okay?)
On top of the quick reunion, Touya feels absurd and strange at the development of her former sheath.
"It's only been four days since you haven't received any requests..."
"Even so, I was bored alone. When I come to school, I have ten nights. Ah, if work comes and I think it's hard to be alone, please help me out on ten nights. Wouldn't it be nice to help once in a while?"
After talking so far, Akira looked into Toya's face questioningly.
"What? Are you crying by any chance? Did you miss me?"
"Hey, don't cry..."
Touya turned her face away from Akira and said, smiling, but her eyes were moist enough to burst and her cheeks were flushed.
＊＊＊
"I'm still a fledgling, almost unknown, and the request fee is the lowest price for the time being."
After school, Toya and Akira head shoulder to shoulder on their way home.
From Toya, it feels like peaceful days have returned, and the events of a few days ago seem to be a lie.
Returning to everyday life, she already feels nostalgic for her unusual body and Akira's decision to go back to the back family business.
"If the request fee is the lowest, I wonder what kind of person will request it, or will I be able to get a good reputation even if I do the job? -"
"In the first place, there are times when the groomer acts like a detective, right? Akira, can you do that?"
"Hmm... it might be a little troublesome. It looks like it would be better to acquire various qualifications and specialized skills. I'm free now. I'll ask you to join me for ten nights."
Akira smiled. To be honest, it's extremely troublesome for him to learn useful skills in the back streets while attending school. No, before that, wasn't there a story about occasionally helping out? As far as I've heard from Akira, it seems that he's completely drawn into himself and intends to do the cleanup business together.
"I mean, wouldn't it be difficult to ask when the other party is a child?"
"There's no such thing. As I said before, teens in the back streets-"
Akira's expression turned grim halfway through his words. Toya noticed this one tempo later than Akira. As a result of several life-threatening battles, both of them naturally became sensitive.
Several people clearly turned their attention to me.
There is no murderous intent, but it feels strange that the surroundings are approaching from here and there. Even if you look around, there are only sparse students on the way home from school and passers-by, and so far you can't see any of them. But it's definitely coming.
"Akira, did you do something wrong again?"
"What are you talking about again? I still don't remember doing anything that would make the bad guys hate me."
Akira holds the gun in his pocket while saying that.
A few men finally appeared in front of the two.
Their clothes are different, but you can tell just by looking at their atmosphere. A resident of the back street. From behind the telegraph poles and beyond the fence, they gathered in droves to surround the two. The number is eight.
"Could you please come without any resistance? I think that would be the best choice for both of us."
The man standing in front said so with a polite and rude attitude.
Toya looked at Akira as if asking for Akira's judgment. Akira easily let go of the gun in his pocket and lightly raised his hands. Like a surrender pose. No, I guess that's the way it is.
"Rather than resisting now, let's just check what kind of people they are and what their intentions are."
When Touya, who was confused, opened her mouth to say something, Akira suggested with a fearless smile.
A car is parked next to them. The man standing in front of me urges me to get on the back seat with a respectful gesture.
I thought I would be blindfolded while the car was moving, but that didn't happen. not even constrained.
"Isn't it the El Dorado next door? I've defaulted on my debt."
Toya says. As soon as he saw that he had left Junko's protection, it wouldn't be strange for him to retaliate.
"It's the formalin-soaked president."
"It was the driver who answered." Toya and Akira looked at each other in surprise.
That organization is connected to Junko behind the scenes, and even in the conflict the other day, they scrambled for each other's profits, and I heard that there was a temporary truce at the right time, but why the hell did they kidnap them?
"What do you want us to do?"
"Please hear it from the mouth of our boss."
When Akira asked, the man in the driver's seat said with a mocking voice. I don't know what's wrong, but both Touya and Akira are offended by the man's attitude.
At the same time, Toya became anxious. Right now, neither Junko nor Makoto is by her side. She's just me and Akira. I don't know what will happen from now on, but if we are exposed to danger, we have to survive with our own strength.
"What kind of face are you making?"
Akira shows a mischievous smile to Toya.
"You have to enjoy this situation where you don't know what will happen next. Aizawa-senpai also said that first, enjoy yourself."
"Are you Aizawa-senpai?"
Toya let out a small sigh. I didn't like Akira's nostalgia for Makoto, and he was a bad match for me, but he supported and helped Toya and Akira the whole time. Toya's mind crossed the hope that he would come to help again.