Dash's car engine raced down the road, and before heading to the hospital, he would take care of bringing food since he didn't know if Devon and her father had eaten anything. So, he bought something on the way.
When he arrived at this hospital where he had once died, he nostalgically looked around and thought about finding the Sakura tree planted here.
"Dash, over here!" Devon waved to Dash, who was standing looking into the distance, and approached him, who had come very late.
"I brought you a lot of things; you can use whatever you need and eat something since it's hot." Dash handed her a bag with drinks and hamburgers, which was the only thing that could be obtained at this hour.
Devon had red eyes, so Dahs handed her some black sunglasses and said, "If you cry, don't go out in the cold; you could get a nasty eye infection."
"Now you care about these things?" Devon smiled gratefully and murmured this joke while eating the hamburger.
Dash moved Devon's hair from the sides and said, "I must take care of my girlfriend; I owe taking care of you even more than before, or you'll end up leaving me for someone more attentive. I must be on high alert, don't you think?"
Devon didn't respond to Dash's sarcasm; she continued eating in silence, feeling better now that she was trying one of her favorite hamburgers.
"I have something to tell you." At some point, Dash felt that it was the right time, and he said, "I found out that there will be tournaments in Japan, I talked to my parents, and they approved my trip to that country to compete and win the cash prizes."
Devon took a sip of soda and asked, "Did they let you go, or did you threaten them?"
"I told them I would leave the house if they didn't let me go... If I win those tournaments, I won't owe my father any favors, we could cover all the subsequent expenses, and your father wouldn't have to feel pressured by the money he shouldn't."
Devon sighed upon hearing Dash's words and said in a sincere tone, "I know you don't get along with your parents. Asking them to help my family was too much to ask, and I don't agree with you pressuring yourself in this way."
"You know I'll win those tournaments easily; I just want you to know since I'll be in Japan until New Year's... We could call each other every day, send messages at any time, and you just have to take care of yourself here." Dash held Devon's hand, which appeared shattered by the news of her mother's illness.
The last thing he wanted was to see her devastated. She was his source of light, and that's why he stayed sane at the moment. His parents were tolerable, but if it weren't for that, the days before he could live on his own would be very bad, or that's what he thought right now.
Helping Devon wouldn't cost him anything. She was his best friend until recently, and now that she was his girlfriend, she was someone he had to support in good and bad times.
They had been taking care of each other for a long time. Being a couple was just a non-existent bear in their current relationship. Life was tough, and now that he could, he wanted to help Devon. She shouldn't lose a loved one, and it's not pleasant that Mrs. Lee dies.
"If you leave now, you'll miss a year of school, and you'll also miss the Karate tournament you were so excited about. Are you still okay with that?" Devon looked into Dash's eyes, seeking what he thought.
"I don't care."
"Why go so far?"
Dash looked into the distance and said, "You have a beautiful family; I want this to continue being like that, and I will do everything possible to make it secure. I won't be of any use here, and I'm sure you don't want me to look at you like this, so it's good that I participate in those tournaments."
"What kind of tournament?"
"Mixed martial arts, fights close to professional ones but more exclusive. The tournament is called Ninja Warrior, and it is a very important one because fighters earn a lot of money." Dash said, making up a story in the process.
Devon couldn't say anything; she didn't want to belittle Dash's help, and she knew that most likely there was another bet with her father to help them.
"Do you promise it won't be something dangerous?"
"I promise, Devon, the fights will be very regulated." Dash said as he nodded.
Devon nodded and said, "Then I'll wait for you, you'll always be on my mind, and I expect constant reports of your fights."
"Of course, you'll be informed of all the matches."