Packed with traffic, and brimming with population - that city of Tokyo.
The youth had one goal as he paddled on the bike... To get to the top of the Tokyo Tower before the end of the... time limit. Yuuto was navigating, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic and people as they drew eyes all over them.
They did look like 2 cosplayers filming a movie...
A young youth in a Kendo outfit with a wooden sword sitting behind a bald guy in a hoodie like in one of those American movies...
Yuuto also paddled as fast as he could, which further drew everyone's interest and attention as Yuuto navigated swiftly through the crowds and cars.
As Sendo clung tightly to Yuuto's waist, zipping through the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, his voice rose above the engine's roar. "Senpai, I know dis is a bit late... But where are we going?"
"To the top of Tokyo Tower," Yuuto replied, his voice steady over the wind. "Someone might be about to jump... if he hasn't already. We'll know by the crowd when we get there."
Sendo's grip tightened. "Why would someone do dat?" he shouted, bewildered.
Yuuto fell silent for a few moments, unsure of how to explain it in the most roundabout way possible.
"... Sendo. Are you familiar with the term NTR?" But of course, Yuuto was anything but roundabout or subtle...
"NTR? No, senpai! Is dat some sort of slang?" Sendo's innocence was palpable in his query.
"It's when someone gets deeply hurt because..." Yuuto paused, reconsidering his explanation given Sendo's age. "Because they feel betrayed by someone they trust. It leaves them feeling helpless, shattered, and utterly alone."
A spark of understanding flickered in Sendo's eyes, reflecting a sudden grasp of the gravity of betrayal. "So you mean someone deliberately hurt him enough to drive him to this?" Sendo's voice was thick with emotion, his words nearly lost in the rush of air.
"We can't be certain yet," Yuuto said, his tone noncommittal. "The one who betrayed might not have fully grasped how deep their actions would cut."
"But how could they not know? How could they not see that it would destroy someone?" Sendo's confusion and frustration were clear, his questions echoing Yuuto's own thoughts on human relationships and their unseen depths.
Yuuto, feeling the urgency in Sendo's grip, tried to explain in terms he thought would resonate. "Imagine you're excited about going to the aquarium with a friend you secretly like, but at the last minute, she goes with someone else because she thinks it'll be more fun, not realizing how much it hurts you."
Sendo's confusion was palpable, his brow furrowed. "dat's... very specific, senpai. But I don't get it."
Yuuto sighed, switching tactics. "Okay, imagine someone promises to join your Kendo club but ends up joining the baseball team instead, without considering how that might make you feel."
Sendo's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Oh! Dat actually happened ta me! I was so mad I couldn't forgive dat jerk!"
"That's the gist of NTR (lite version)," Yuuto nodded, pleased that Sendo was catching on. "And the person we're going to see might have experienced something far worse, which pushed them to consider jumping."
Sendo's fists clenched tightly as a determined glint appeared in his eyes. "Den we've got ta help them, senpai!"
With a newfound resolve, they parked the bike in a nearby alley and sprinted towards the towering silhouette of Tokyo Tower, their steps echoing with urgency as they made for the elevator to ascend to the top.
____
???: "Someone actually came... Kekek..."
???: "How can you be so sure? Maybe they just came to hang out?"
???: "They seemed in quite a rush... You don't look like that without a good reason...Hehehe, the looks on their faces reminds me of how fathers and husbands look like when their girl's getting all corrupted before their eyes as I mess them up... They want to get there in time to stop it, so they have that determined gaze on their faces... Ooooohh.... But the look they have when they realize it's too late.... Aaaahhnnnn~... I just can't get enough of it..."
???: "That bastard kid actually had the nerve to call for help...Follow them. Let's make sure before we make a move on the little pricks. "
____
Yuuto and Sendo rose up nervously in the elevator. What type of person will they have to speak to? Yuuto reread the text the person wrote on his website:
"The night sky sure is nice today, up Tokyo Tower... I think I'll go there after eating at fifth avenue... And never come back..."
Sendo breathed more heavily the more floors they went up.
Yuuto glanced at Sendo, noting his uneasy stance. "Sendo," he repeated, tapping his shoulder to grab his full attention.
Sendo jerked slightly, then turned to Yuuto with a start. "W-what's up, senpai?" His voice wavered as he tried to mask his unease with a quick smile.
"You don't have to come up," Yuuto said, his voice steady. "A suicide attempt isn't something you should have to face. It's tough enough for adults."
Sendo's face fell slightly, his hands clenched at his sides. "It's not dat, senpai. I'm used ta suicide... I just really hate heights," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper as he glanced nervously around.
Yuuto raised an eyebrow, 'Used to suicide, huh...' he thought, a flicker of concern passing through his mind.
"Well, you could have stayed at ground level," Yuuto suggested, watching as Sendo's discomfort seemed to grow with the elevator's ascent.
Sendo shook his head, stubbornly pushing back against his fear. "Don't be ridiculous, senpai," he stammered, his whole body beginning to tremble. "How else am I supposed ta show ya how cool Kendo is? Ya need to see yer future captain get over his fears... I bet den ya'll think it's cool," he added, trying to muster a confident grin despite his visible anxiety.
Yuuto shook his head in disbelief. "For such a trivial reason, you'd confront a fear that clearly terrifies you? You're nuts," Like you're one to talk, Yuuto.
Sendo gripped his kendo sword tighter, determination firming his features. "Ya can say what ya want, senpai... But someone who faces deir fears... dat's cool, no matter what," he declared, his resolve silencing Yuuto for a moment.
Yuuto sighed as they reached the highest floor—the rooftop. Before stepping out of the elevator, Yuuto paused and turned to Sendo.
"Sendo," he began, reaching into his hoodie pocket and pulling out a jet-black ski mask. He handed it to Sendo, "Just in case the person out there is unstable, you don't want him recognizing you. As your senpai, I'm telling you to wear this. Call yourself Kendo-Man."
Sendo, misunderstanding, replied, "Candy Man?"
"No, KenDO-Man, like Sendo but with man," Yuuto corrected with emphasis.
"Alright den, Sendo-Man!" Sendo exclaimed, donning the mask with a mix of enthusiasm and nervous energy.
Yuuto corrected again, "I said Kendo-Man... Whatever, Sendo-Man works too. Just make sure to wear different clothes during training back at the gym, just in case this guy decides to stalk either of us."
Sendo nodded, his voice muffled by the mask, "Sure! No problem, senpai!" His voice carried a mix of excitement and nerves as they prepared to step onto the rooftop.
Yuuto raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Sendo's fearless attitude towards danger, yet his fear of heights. "You're terrified of heights but not of dangerous stalkers?"
"Nah, I can handle dangerous folks," Sendo shrugged, gripping his kendo sword a little tighter. "There's no one as good in a fight as me, unless they've got a gun... or unless it's one of my brothers," he added with a chuckle.
Yuuto paused, his curiosity piqued. 'Brothers...? I thought he was an only child...'
"Alright then," Yuuto said, shifting the conversation back. "From now on, call me... Hoodie."
"Hoodie... senpai?" Sendo asked, trying to add the customary respect.
"Just Hoodie," Yuuto corrected firmly, setting the tone for their unconventional partnership as they prepared to face whatever awaited them on the rooftop.
They both stepped onto the rooftop. Sendo shivered as he stepped forth, yet he kept placing another foot after the other, further advancing on the abandoned roof.
Did the person jump? Fall? Was never there to begin with? Yuuto approached the railings and looked down at a very unsafe angle at each side of the building to check for commotion down below. None. Was it just a ruse? Yuuto grew increasingly frustrated as he looked at the text once more through Sendo's phone: "The night sky sure is nice today, up Tokyo Tower... I think I'll go there after eating in fifth avenue... And never come back..."
Yuuto sighed deeply as the now-cold breeze brushed through his clothes.
Yuuto paused, his initial concern dissolved into mild irritation as he sighed. 'Just an attention seeker then... Well, time to fold. Maybe Sendo will be willing to forget all this somehow—'
"SENPAI!!!" Sendo's voice cut through Yuuto's thoughts, his tone urgent and directed towards something in the distance.
Yuuto hesitated, then strode over to where Sendo stood. "I told you to call me Ho—"
"Never mind dat!" Sendo interrupted, his focus fixed on a scene unfolding several blocks away. "Look, over der! Dat building below, da one dat's five blocks away! Some suspicious people are surrounding one guy... It seems dey're driving him closer and closer ta da edge of da apartment building!" Sendo shouted, pointing intensely.
Yuuto rushed to Sendo's side, following his gaze. His eyes widened as he took in the precarious situation unfolding at a distance. He realized the gravity of their mistake. If that person had indeed asked him to come to Fifth Avenue directly, they might have been overwhelmed by the crowd before they could intervene or call for help.
Yuuto cursed under his breath. 'Damn it!'
"LET'S HURRY UP, SENPAI! DA POLICE WON'T GET DER IN TIME!" Sendo's voice boomed as he bolted towards the rooftop entrance.
Just as they moved to act, a group of six imposing figures entered through the rooftop door, effectively blocking their path. With one look, Sendo could tell...
These men meant trouble.
"How suspicious... Why are you wearing a mask? Why are you in such a rush to go down right now? We old men just wanna have a chat with you two for a bit..."
Sendo backed away slowly as he placed his hand on the wooden sword strapped to his waist-belt - visibly showing his hostility and cautiousness towards the suspicious men.
Unlike Yato and Tatsu or the people he had to fight consecutively before... These guys... Were much more dangerous, he felt. He had to be a lot more cautious.
"My my... Look at this cute little guy. Ooooh, are you gonna draw your sword at us?"
Yuuto then abruptly stepped between the two as he stopped Sendo in place, tapping on his shoulder as he came up behind him with a calm gaze.
"Me and my buddy, Kendo-Man, did a photo shoot for our anime studio." Yuuto started, marching towards them confidently, "He has a terrible fear of heights, so he mistook you, nice-ojisans, as people who purposely block his way outta this place he oh so fears. Will you please, respectable gentlemen, let us through so that we could get his pills in time?" He spoke calmly as he looked up at them.
"Awww... But we are so lonely... Can we hold you up here for just 5 - 10 minutes to talk? That photo-shoot of yours sounds interesting..."
Sendo and Yuuto looked at each other after looking backward to the fifth avenue's rooftop.
They both understood the meaning as they nodded to each other.
They had, at most, 10 minutes to get to that person before he was dropped off that roof.
Yuuto sighed...
'I shoulda taken my baseball bat.' He then jumped and sent a kick up the front man's chin, knocking him out.
Sendo was mesmerized by the kick as these guys were caught off-guard.
"KENDO-MAN! GO!! I'LL TAKE CARE OF THEM!" He shouted as he sent another punch flying at the next person, connecting it as well.
They turned their focus to Yuuto.
"I'M COUNTING ON YOU, SENDO-MAN!!!" He screamed as he went into a boxing stance.
Sendo's eyes lit up as he shook his own head and started running to the rooftop entrance and enter the elevator.
"Bring it on, manchildren. Make my night." Yuuto taunted