"This boy is acting completely aware; perhaps he doesn't know how many people we've disciplined," one of Mitsu's group members remarked.
"Leave him to me; I don't want you to interfere!" Mitsu said to his group.
Loud laughter erupted from Shimada. "You can all join in the attack at once; I have no objections," he challenged everyone simultaneously.
Shimada sensed Izumi approaching and said, "Someone annoying is coming; let's finish this quickly."
Izumi jumped the wall separating him from Shimada and Mitsu's group, leaping a wall at least four meters high, to the astonishment of everyone, including Shimada.
"How! He must have jumped the wall! Did his right hand help him? No, it's in its normal state!" Such a jump left Shimada speculating.
"Shimada, you've finally revealed your true self!" Izumi shouted at Shimada.
"What? Did you use them to isolate me and fight me here?" Shimada shot back, trying to turn the tables.
"I didn't think of that; so I'm the victim here! Isn't that right?" Shimada added.
"Get out of here!" Izumi ordered Shimada to leave.
"Alright, I'll leave the place to you," Shimada said as he began to walk away.
Mitsu's rage boiled at the sight; he felt utterly insulted by Izumi's interference before the fight even began.
Mitsu wouldn't let this pass without a reaction, directing his words at Shimada, "Hey, hey, are you going to run away?"
One of Mitsu's group members spoke to Izumi, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you saved your friend? What is this play you're putting on?!"
"Friend!!!" Izumi exclaimed, upset at the notion of considering Shimada a friend. But his expression quickly shifted from anger to calmness.
"You know nothing. Go back to your homes and don't chase that boy again," Izumi added.
"I see you're starting to give orders!" Mitsu retorted, irritated.
"The words are directed at you, the one in the black jacket," Izumi pointed at the person.
"I know you're their leader!" Izumi said.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the person Izumi was addressing, the true leader of the group. Mitsu was taken aback; even the group members were unaware of this.
"How did he know? He has never seen him before; this is the first time he's been among us," Mitsu thought aloud.
A man of massive build stepped out from the crowd, striding confidently toward Izumi, towering over him, believing he had the upper hand.
"I like your look," said the true leader of the group.
As soon as he finished his sentence, he threw a punch at Izumi's face, but... it was too slow for Izumi. He raised his left hand to eye level to block the punch.
Izumi grabbed the leader's fist and continued to apply pressure until the sound of bones breaking echoed, accompanied by the leader's screams filling the area.
The group members huddled around their true leader, with Mitsu helping him up from the ground. The first thing he uttered was, "Let's leave."
Leaning on his group members, the leader realized that fighting the boy would only lead to a humiliating defeat that could end their existence.
Waiting alone at the university gate, sadness evident on her face after everyone had left, Murano leaned against the gate, holding Izumi's bag and waiting for him to appear. Lost in thought, she didn't notice Izumi approaching until he called her name.
"Murano!" Izumi shouted as he walked up to her.
She turned to him and offered his bag. As he took it from her, his hands brushed against hers, and he smiled in thanks for her patience in waiting for him.
However, pleasant moments rarely remain unspoiled during their encounters. This time was no exception as Shimada stealthily approached from behind Murano. Izumi's heightened awareness sensed the presence of a parasite, prompting him to pull Murano closer.
Grasping her wrist, Izumi said with irritation, addressing Shimada, "What do you want?"
"I was wondering about what happened to them," Shimada replied casually.
"That's none of your business," Izumi retorted.
"Did you use your hand? I bet you took them all down. I hope you didn't use your full strength against a bunch of weaklings," Shimada insinuated, hinting at the parasite Izumi held in his right hand. Such comments only deepened Murano's suspicions about Izumi.
"I didn't do any of that! Stop spouting nonsense; just go, go!" Izumi snapped, angered by Shimada's provocations, which would have been ordinary if Murano hadn't been present.
Shimada's strange gaze revealed that he recognized Izumi's unprovoked agitation stemmed solely from the girl. They had previously discussed parasites openly without Izumi reacting this way.
Shimada left quietly, knowing he could ruin things for Izumi but chose not to.
"You're hurting me!" Murano exclaimed as Izumi continued to grip her wrist tightly.
Realizing he was holding her too forcefully, Izumi turned to Murano and quickly said, "I'm sorry."
A moment of silence followed, clearly indicating how much Izumi was bothered by Shimada's presence.
"Did something happen between you and Shimada?" Murano asked, curiosity in her voice.
"He's a jerk. He might seem calm to you, but he's just scum," Izumi replied, visibly agitated.
Murano placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Izumi, you're not acting like yourself. I don't know why you're upset with him, but that wasn't how you usually talk. This isn't normal!"
"Not normal? How?" Izumi questioned, confused.
"I don't know how to explain it, but the person I know wouldn't react that way without a reason," Murano said, critiquing his behavior toward Shimada.
"It seems to me that you're straining yourself," she added.
"I'm not doing that," Izumi insisted.
"It might seem that way to you, but it's not true. You're a completely different person now; you've changed," Murano stated.
"Maybe I've changed, but I'm not trying to be someone else, and I'm not forcing myself," Izumi replied, a slight smile appearing on his face. For the first time, he didn't feel annoyed by the comment about having changed.
Murano, hearing this, reacted sharply, "So why have you changed? Who can change completely without effort?!"
"The events and circumstances make a person change," Izumi explained.
"What are you talking about?" Murano asked, bewildered.
Silence fell between them, and Izumi's smile made Murano lose her patience as she said, "Are you really Izumi?"
"Shut up!" Izumi yelled, admonishing her.
Murano didn't react physically, simply saying, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
They both turned away and went their separate ways.
**At Izumi's House**
Whenever he had the chance, Izumi would contemplate the hole in his chest. In the bathtub, he explored the hole with his fingers, the sight reminiscent of an aerial view of a bomb crater hours after an explosion.
A deep hole in the center of his chest mirrored a similar one on his back, surrounded by scar tissue that resembled the branches of a tree.