Let's put them in jail!

In the days that followed, while Hideaki was doing home rehabilitation exercises, Daisuke tirelessly sought to gather as much information about Hideaki as possible. 

He scoured newspapers, watched TV reports, and checked the internet, even sifting through low-quality recordings made by individuals who captured Hideaki's murders and shared them online.

Daisuke's desk became cluttered with documents and recordings. Screenshots of gruesome crime scenes covered one wall, notes scribbled in haste detailing Hideaki's known behaviors, and potential motives.

Each day, he added more, connecting the dots between murders, trying to predict Hideaki's next move.

The terrifying screams echoed through each recording, signaling that the killer had treated his victims with extreme violence. There were faint red spots of blood in the footage, but they weren't all randomly splattered. Some were more planned out. Like paint lines in a painting.

Aoi observed his struggles, stepping into his office to examine the collected paperwork. She glanced at the piles of documents - each one evidence of her fiancé's unwavering commitment.
"You really did everything to learn more about this guy, don't you?"

"Yeah..." Daisuke replied, leaning back on his chair, sighing "I have all these recordings... Information about this sick bastard... And it only makes my worries stronger, that right now he is living peacefully under that guy's apartment's roof, planning to murder someone... And at even the slightest chance to go outside again... He will strike."

Aoi raised an eyebrow "That guy? So you're saying that someone came by to pick up him..?"

"Yeah... He was with one man... short blonde fluffy hair... average height... I think his name was... Sekiguchi... Seiji..?"

At that moment, Aoi felt her heart skip a beat. She was overwhelmed with shock from what she had just heard.
"Sekiguchi... S-Seiji...?"

"Yeah... That's what I managed to read from the, now deleted papers at the hospital..." Daisuke added.
"But even with that, I can't exactly request them to disclose his whereabouts..."

Aoi stood completely frozen in one place.
Her lips trembled as she realized she knew this person all too well.

'It's... It's my ex-boyfriend! I know perfectly well where he lives... But... after the breakup we didn't talk with each other. I don't even know what he's doing now. And to add...'

She let out a silent sigh.

'If he found out... if he knew I had a secret second relationship while already wearing this ring...'

She suddenly gasped.

'He could break off the engagement... expose me... tell everyone we know, what I did. And if he'll feel betrayed... he won't think. He'll act. Like he always did.'

She gritted her teeth, panic blooming behind her composed expression.

'I didn't want to hurt Daisuke, but Seiji was... different. I just couldn't resist... And now... If we go there... and Daisuke will confront him... He will find out about me and Seiji! Everything will fall apart!'

Her hand trembled slightly as she touched the engagement ring on her finger. A ring that symbolized everything she had worked so carefully to preserve.

'What to do... What to do?'

Her chest tightened and anxiety deepened. She tried to breathe slowly, quietly, keeping calm as she replayed the consequences in her mind.

She gazed at Daisuke, who was scrolling through the pages of documents describing Hideaki's crimes from the newspapers.

'If Seiji's really harbouring this serial killer...  ...That means he will go to jail after police expose him!'

The thought struck her like a blade — cold, sudden, cruel. She looked down again at her hand, at the ring.

'And if he goes to jail, Daisuke will never learn the truth about my cheating!  Hah! Hahaha!'

She grinned.

'I just need to finish this... With the help of the police, I will erase Seiji from my life before Daisuke ever finds out. He can't know. He must never know. I need to keep control.'

She bit her lower lip, her nails digging into her palm.

Daisuke rose from his chair, sighning.
"Well... I'm afraid that we may know as much as the police for this current state..."

The man was about to leave the room, when suddenly... he felt a sharp, yet gentle grab of Aoi...

Her fingers clutching his sleeve with an urgency she rarely showed.

"Dai-chan... Wait."

Daisuke paused, turning slightly toward her with a curious look.
"What is it?"

Aoi looked up at him, forcing a breath through tight lungs, masking the trembling in her voice with a calm she had perfected over the years.
"There might be... one last lead."

He blinked. "You mean something not in the reports?"

Aoi hesitated, eyes darting to the files on the desk, to the chaotic web of strings and names Daisuke had been building like a detective spiraling deeper into obsession. And then, she met his eyes.

"I remember that, that man you mentioned, Sekiguchi Seiji..." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "I... I know him. I know where he lives."

His eyes widened with sudden intensity. "You do?"

She nodded slowly.
"We used to... work on projects during last year of college there. I could show you. I hope it'll help."

"If thanks to him, we will track down Miyahara, it will be amazing." Daisuke said, his voice laced with cautious excitement.

Aoi gave him a small, practiced smile, hiding the excitement behind her expression. She tilted her head slightly and added with a soft voice, "It might be nothing, but... if there's even a small chance, I think it's worth checking out, right? We will ask police to help us. After all, they want to catch him too."

Daisuke nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. Let's go."

Aoi stayed in the room for a little while, glancing at the doorframe that Daisuke went through to gather his documents and car key's, and exhaled.

'I have to make sure you never learn the truth. I can't let you look at me with disappointment.'

[At the same time at Seiji's apartment]

"Tch!" Hideaki hissed. "These everyday hand workouts are draining me! And Seiji isn't making it any easier!"

'He's watching me so closely that when I tried to use my magic too quickly, he hit me on the head... And it hurt like hell for a good couple of minutes! Idiot... And I just want this fixed quickly!'

He pouted, but then remembered Watanabe's words:

"There are methods of acceleration — but none are free of risk. At best, it would shorten rehabilitation by a few weeks. At worst... ...there would be permanent damage to the channels. Meaning: complete or partial loss of Magic Ability. With no return."

"Tch! I fucking know that!!" He growled angrily. "But at the same time...." He gazed at his bony fingers "I just want to use my magic again."

He sighed and lounged on the couch. Out of boredom, he turned on the TV.

However...

The TV offered no distraction - just soap operas and dull news segments.

"FUCK! I want an anime!!"

He hurled the remote at the couch.

He stared at the all too perfect faces of the actors that played in the TV show and gritted his teeth. Suddenly, a woman's face shone on the TV screen.

She, with face delicate as snow, long light blonde wavy hair and eyes in rich sapphire blue color, made in him a very unpleasant feeling...

"She... She looks very similar to..."

A middle-school classroom. The smell of chalk and the quiet buzz of fluorescent lights was present in the whole room. Hideaki sat at a desk in the back of the classroom. He looked lost in thought, listening to the rock music through headphones.

"Not fighting. Just scare them a little. You’ve got that creepy blood magic, right?”

Hideaki froze. "W-what? I can’t—"

"Do it," she interrupted coldly, "or I’ll tell everyone what you did to Asahi last week."

---

He began to dig his nails into the couch seat.

--- 

His heart skipped a beat. "T-that was an accident!"

"Whatever." She smiled. "You’ll help me, right? We are friends anyways."

---

He began scratching his hands... feeling more and more anxious. His nails were digging deep into his palms, drawing blood, and he... blindly dug them even more, as his memories haunted him.

That memorable last week

He remembered that day as if through a fog – the sun, the schoolyard and panic.

After school he’d gone to a quiet corner to practice his blood cotrol Magic Ability. From his hiding spot he watched Asahi and his friends warm up.

 "I want to be better in my Magic Ability..." he whispered to himself. 

Suddenly Asahi slipped and scratched his wrist; a thin line of blood beaded on the skin.
Hideaki told himself he’d only feel the flow — just a practice — and without taking his eyes off them, he reached for the loosened droplet.

But the blood answered too fast. The thin line on Asahi’s wrist shivered — then spread.
At once, the wound broke open wider, and the blood began to pour, dark and heavy, splattering the ground in uneven bursts.

"What the hell!?" Asahi shouted, clutching his wrist. The others froze, eyes wide, watching the stream pulse like it had a life of its own.

Hideaki burst out of the bushes. His heart jumped to his throat. "Stop—! I didn’t mean to!" 

"Miyahara!? What are you doing here!?" Asahi asked, but then immediately folded to the ground.

Hideaki tried to break the focus, but the blood only gushed harder.

 "Agh! Stop it!" Asahi screamed.

Hideaki felt panic rise within him, his magical aura beginning to flicker. His heart pounded, and his breathing became frantic...

Suddenly...

The blood he had been controlling finally went still, dripping thickly down Asahi’s arm. 

Hideaki's hands were shaking like crazy, and he was far from calm.

"You're crazy!" Asahi exclaimed with pain and anger.

The others scattered, horror on their faces. When Asahi staggered to his feet he spat, “You should be locked up!” and ran off.

Hideaki stood frozen, trembling, staring at the red stain soaking the earth. "I—I didn’t mean to… s-sorry," he stammered.

He didn’t notice Natsuki watching from the edge of the field, smiling with a cold satisfaction — proof and leverage in her pocket.

---

'I always did what she told me... But... I didn't want to... she... she manipulated me so badly back then...'  He gritted his teeth. 'She said that we were friends... And she...'

He remembered her insulting texts to him, her nasty comments to him, even picking on the way he ate his bento. And the best part? He never said a word to her about it. He just sat there and took it — letting her say all that crap while he stayed silent. Feeling completely defenseless. Even if, deep inside, he burned with humiliation.

"Tch!" He spat out grimmly. "Why the hell I have to be like this!?"

But then... Suddenly, he felt a slight sting. He gritted his teeth and stared at the screen. Hissing sounds escaped his mouth, like a rabid cat.

Then, he gazed at his hands, and froze.

Blood welled up from reopened scars. His fingers trembled uncontrollably.

"Sh-shit!"

He tried to summon his magic to heal himself, but immedetly failed. He was too shaken.

He took a deep breath. His red aura flickered dangerously.

'B-blood... so r-red...' 

Hideaki gulped.

'Heh... heheh... it's colour... is so deeply red... hehe... I want to use it... I want to control it... I want to play with it...'

His voice turned into sickening edge.

He knew it was dangerous. He knew he shouldn’t.
But the anger drowned that thought.

His aura flickered a dim red from his fingers, unstable and pulsing with rage.

Then a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Once he finished, he grabbed it with a swift motion and, in a surge of fury, lunged at the walls, leaving streaks of crimson behind. At the same time stabbing and punching at the walls, cursing with each blow.

Next, he went to the kitchen where he stabbed wildly at the cutting board, slashing at the countertops, kicking at the walls.

His eyes wild and his breath ragged, swinging the bloody knife with a mix of rage and frustration.

Each strike felt good - each stab let out some of the chaos inside him.

The whole apartment became his target - whatever he could destroy, he did. He wanted to break everything.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of violence, his energy drained.

His hands were trembling, his whole body was trembling. The weapon in his hand melted, making a small pool of blood on the floor.

Collapsing onto the couch, Hideaki buried his head in a pillow, his limbs were heavy and breathing heaving with exhaustion.

His thoughts raced in the silence. His expression shifted to one of bitter self-loathing.

'Why do I have to be like this...?'  he asked himself in his head. A question was almost as a whisper, voice cracking slightly reflecting his deep sadness.

He gazed at the damaged walls and towards kitchen. 

'I'm just an issue. A problem...'

His hands moved to his forearms and he started to scratch himself.

'Always have been... Since I remember...'

At first he scratched nervously, lightly, as he wanted to brush off something from himself, but then as he spiraled into darker thoughts about himself, the scratching became intensive.

For a moment, he stared at the mess around him, realizing how much he'd destroyed. How much he couldn't control. He hated this - hated himself. But all that was left now was the aftermath of his rage, and that familiar, self-loathing and creeping sadness that always came after.

[Tokyo's Police Department]

The air outside the police station was thick with tension. Daisuke walked in with purpose, clutching a folder filled with printed news articles, low-quality recordings of Hideaki's murders, and hastily scribbled notes. Aoi followed closely behind, her nerves on edge. She forced herself to remain calm, but inside, her stomach churned with anxiety.

They approached the front desk where a stern-looking officer sat. Daisuke cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Officer," he began, his voice filled with urgency. "We have important information regarding the serial killer who's been terrorizing the city. We believe we know where he might be hiding."

The officer, a middle-aged man with graying hair, raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting from Daisuke to Aoi. "And who are you exactly?"

"I'm Fukuda Daisuke," Daisuke said, standing tall. "I'm a security officer at the Tokyo's General Hospital where the mentioned serial killer - Miyahara Hideaki was treated." He held up the folder in his hand. "We believe we know who's now hiding him."

The officer's expression softened slightly. "Alright, come with me. We'll have you talk to Officer Detective Nakamura"

Daisuke and Aoi followed the officer through a series of halls until they reached a small, dimly lit office. Nakamura, sat behind a cluttered desk, looking up from his paperwork as they entered.

"This better be good," Nakamura muttered, gesturing for them to sit.

Daisuke wasted no time, pulling out the folder and spreading the documents across the desk. 

"My name is Fukuda Daisuke, I'm a security officer at Tokyo General Hospital, and this is my fiancée Maeda Aoi. This is about Miyahara Hideaki, the serial killer who's been all over the news. I've been tracking his movements and gathering evidence ever since I witnessed his attack at the Tokyo's General Hospital."

'Attack at the general hospital...? Here in Tokyo? How could we missed that?'  Nakamura's eyebrows shot up in interest. "Go on."

Daisuke leaned forward, voice sharp.
"I saw it with my own eyes. He tried to kill a nurse, threatened to slaughter everyone. At night, he laughed like a maniac, talked about blood, about killing. I wrote it down — every word. Look." He unfolded a worn page with a single bold kanji scrawled across it: 'DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRUST.'

He pressed on, recounting quickly:
"During the day, he acted almost normal, even cooperative in rehab. But at night — he fell into madness. I heard him scream it myself. My notes... they all confirm it."

Tanaka raised a hand. "And physical evidence? CCTV? Medical records? Witness reports from the staff?"

Daisuke froze for a moment, then grit his teeth.
"That's the problem. Everything was erased. The hospital system — files, reports, patient logs — all gone. Someone deliberately covered it up. All I have left are my notes, and my testimony," he said.

The detectives exchanged skeptical glances. Tanaka sighed.

"Mr. Fukuda, do you realize what you're asking us to believe? Without medical documentation, without video evidence — these are only your words."

Nakamura added, his tone clipped:
"From our perspective, you're just a security guard. A civilian. You may have seen something, yes, but without proper evidence, it's impossible to treat this as more than personal speculation."

The words hit like cold water. To them, he wasn't a whistleblower — just another frustrated witness who didn't understand procedure.

Daisuke continued, pointing to the documents. "I know how this may look like, but that's not all. Miyahara was recently released from the hospital, and I believe he's hiding out with someone named Sekiguchi Seiji."

"Sekiguchi Seiji?" Nakamura repeated, leaning forward.

"Yes. He's just a regular guy - no criminal record that I know of - but he picked Miyahara up from the hospital after his treatment. I believe he's providing him shelter, and I've reason to believe he might not know the full extent of who Miyahara is. But it's dangerous. Someone needs to act before something worse happens."

The detective narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly do you know this?"

Daisuke paused briefly, gathering his thoughts before responding to Detective Nakamura's question.

"I know because no one else came to pick up him. The security footage showed Sekiguchi arriving alone, and his name was the only one listed as the point of contact for Miyahara's release. I've cross-referenced it with the discharge records from the hospital - Sekiguchi was the one who took him in. If someone else was involved, I'd have seen it in my tracking. And if you're still not having enough information about this man, please ask my fiance, Aoi." He showed at her.

Aoi tensed beside Daisuke. She gulped nervously.

The girl knew this was the moment she had to speak, but her mind raced with doubt. 

Could she keep her story straight? 

What if they started asking more questions about Seiji? 

"Damn it..." She cursed under her breath, but  decided to start telling.

"I... I knew Sekiguchi-san," she began, her voice slightly shaky. "We were... working together on college projects. I've been to his apartment before, so I know where he lives."

Nakamura studied her carefully, clearly taking note of her anxiety. "I see. So, you were friends with this Sekiguchi?"

"Yes!" she answered too quickly "We were meeting from time to time in his apartment. But that was long time ago," Aoi replied, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. "I haven't seen him since, but I'm certain he wouldn't knowingly harbor a killer. Seiji isn't that kind of person. When Daisuke told me about the man who picked up Miyahara, I recognized him immediately. I'm worried that he might be in danger too. He's just a programmer, a quiet guy."

Tanaka leaned back in his chair, glancing between the two of them. "You're saying that he could be hiding our murderer without even realizing it?"

"Exactly," Daisuke jumped in. "I don't think Sekiguchi knows how dangerous Miyahara is. But if we don't act fast, more people could die."

Nakamura drummed his fingers on the desk, clearly mulling over the situation. "Alright," he said finally. "Let's assume you're right. We'll look into this Sekiguchi guy and see if there's anything suspicious about his connection to Miyahara. But you understand, this is a delicate situation. We can't just storm into someone's home without concrete evidence."

Daisuke's eyes flared with frustration. "But what about the danger? Miyahara's a killer! We can't wait around for him to strike again."

"I understand your concern," Nakamura said, his voice firm but calm. "But we need to do things by the book. We'll look into Sekiguchi-san, gather more intel, and keep a close watch. If Miyahara is with him, we'll take the necessary action. But rushing in without proof could do more harm than good."

Daisuke gritted his teeth, but Aoi placed a hand on his arm, subtly urging him to remain calm. "Thank you, Detective," she said quietly.

Nakamura nodded and stood up, signaling the end of the conversation. "Thank you for your statements. We appreciate your cooperation. In the meantime, I advise you both to stay safe and keep a low profile. If Miyahara realizes someone is onto him, things could escalate quickly."

Tanaka nodded, confirming Nakamura's words, "We'll be in touch if we have any further questions. For now, you're free to go."

Daisuke rose from his seat, reluctantly accepting the detective's measured approach.

Aoi smiled "Thank you so much. We really hope this helps you catch them."

"Please, just do your best. We believe in you." Daisuke added.

Nakamura gave a small nod, his expression unreadable.

Aoi and Daisuke stood and walked out into the corridor, their steps lighter, their hope renewed.

"We've done what we can," Daisuke muttered, staring at the doors to the investigation room they just went in. "Now it's up to them. Hopefully..."

---

[Interior: Detective's Office]

Nakamura leaned back in his chair while Tanaka reviewed their notes. The atmosphere was tense but focused.

Tanaka frowned "What do you think? Without concrete evidence, we can't act on this. It's just... conjecture."

"Exactly." Nakamura replied thoughtfully, "We need to verify everything first. Is Fukuda Daisuke really a hospital security guard? Does Maeda Aoi truly know that Sekiguchi Seiji, or are they just making baseless assumptions?"

Tanaka shrugged "We could cross-check their information in the database, but is it worth the time? We might be better off focusing on solid leads to catch Miyahara instead of chasing random claims from these two."

Nakamura nodded slowly, his expression doubtful.

Behind the one-way mirror, in the adjacent observation room, silence reigned.

In the shadows, with her arms crossed over her chest, stood Kisaragi — but she didn't say a word. She didn't need to.

Her eyes tracked Aoi's every move — how she sat, how she spoke, when she hesitated, and when she answered too quickly. Every twitch of her facial muscles, every shift of her hand on the table.

'Her reactions were unnatural. Too tense for a supposed old acquaintance.' she thought dryly, not looking at the others, only at the notes in her hand. 'Maybe she was just nervous? ...No. That wasn't ordinary stress.'  After a moment, she furrowed her brows. 'It was a controlled narrative. Rehearsed, but too shallow. Too safe. Maeda is hiding something.'

She turned her gaze to Nakamura.

'Fukuda Daisuke, on the other hand, believes in what he's saying. Or at least he's convinced it's the truth.'

She exchanged a brief glance with the technician beside her, but said nothing. She remained silent, focused, almost motionless — as if piecing together a puzzle in her mind that she wasn't ready to reveal to anyone just yet.

In the corner of the room, Sergeant Oyakata Jun listened quietly, his arms crossed. Though he's part of the investigation team, he has remained mostly silent during the discussion as well.

'Those two didn't seem like they were guessing. They were desperate, confident even. Something about their story felt... real. But Nakamura-san and Tanaka-san won't take them seriously.' Oyakata thought to himself.

Resolute, Oyakata stood up, his decision made.

---

[Interior: Police Station Corridor]

Aoi and Daisuke were about to leave the police station, when suddenly, one of the younger officers appeared — Oyakata Jun.

His demeanor was calm and approachable. He offered a polite smile as he approached them.

"Excuse me, Fukuda-san, Maeda-san. I'm Sergeant Oyakata Jun, part of the team investigating this case. May I have a moment of your time?"

Aoi and Daisuke glanced at each other, slightly surprised but hopeful.

Daisuke nodded "Of course, Sergeant. How can we help?"

Oyakata, with a confident yet gentle tone began, "I've reviewed your statements, and I'd like to take a closer look. Could you show me where Sekiguchi Seiji lives? If you don't mind, we can go there together."

Daisuke's eyes widen slightly, but he hasten before agreeing.
"But officer Nakamura said that we can't just storm into someone's home without concrete evidence."

"I'll take care of that." Oyakata winked to them, then added calmly "I honestly, believe in your statements. Your determination and that certainty... Is something that cannot be ignored."

Daisuke gazed at Aoi. 

She saw that characteristic glint in his eyes.  The glint that said, "I want to prove I'm right at all cost."

Her mind was racing with thoughts of Seiji. She couldn't help but wonder how long this lie would actually be safe.

What if Seiji was questioned about their relation? The whole 'college projects' excuse was a lie.

She met him when he already got a job and apartment.

That alone, made her more worried, beause - What if Daisuke found out more than she wanted him to know?

'I need to handle this carefully when we reach Seiji's apartment...' she thought, her pulse quickening. 'One wrong move, and everything could fall apart.'

She turned to the police officer, "When we get there, will we have to accompany you for questioning?" she asked innocently at first glance, as if her question itself was based more on simple curiosity than on what she was truly afraid of at the time.

"Hm? Oh, no, no." Oyakata replied kindly. "As a police officer I can't let the civilians accompany me. It's not exactly appropriate."

'So we'll stay in car. That's one way down... now...'

She analyzed, then added

"What if the person questioned wanted to ask us a question? About the case? About the suspect?"

"That's not possible. Police protocol doesn't allow for the disclosure of personal information." Oyakata replied.

"I understand." Aoi answered calmly, trying to not show the excitement she felt after hearing all this - the informations that thanks to which, her secret would be safe. 

"We'll show you everything. Thank you for believing us, Sergeant." Daisuke said smiling.

Aoi clapped her hands and nodded.

Oyakata smiled faintly "Let's not waste any more time, then. We can meet here tomorrow, around 7:10 p.m. Then we'll go to Sekiguchi's apartment."

Daisuke and Aoi nodded, and the three walked out toward the exit.

[In the meantime]

Seiji came home from work and froze in the doorway.
The air smelled faintly of metal — iron, maybe blood. His eyes moved slowly across the room, tracing the gouges on the wall, the scratches on the counter, the faint reddish stains half-wiped from the floor.

He set his bag down silently. "What the hell happened here?"

Hideaki, sitting tensely on the couch, jumped a little. "Uh— I… I just—"

Seiji stepped closer. His gaze was sharp, clinical. He reached out, touched a dark spot on the wall, and looked down at his fingertips. It was still faintly red.
His expression hardened.

"These are blood traces," he said, voice dangerously calm. "You used your Magic Ability, didn’t you?"

Hideaki froze, jaw tightening. "Tch! Y-yeah... but I cleaned it up!" he said quickly. "You don’t have to look at me like that!"

Seiji’s tone rose sharply — something rare for him.
"You cleaned it up?" he repeated, incredulous. "You wrecked my apartment with your blood magic and you think wiping the walls makes it fine?"

He stepped closer, anger crackling in his voice. "You were told not to use it outside your rehabilitation sessions. Not to push yourself. You know how risky it is for your channels!"

Hideaki flinched, voice shaking. "I just... lost control, okay? It wasn’t on purpose— I was just— I got angry and—"

"You idiot." Seiji’s voice cut through him like glass. His tone broke from cold to furious, the words laced with rare emotion. "You fucking idiot. Do you even realize what you could’ve done to yourself?!"

Hideaki blinked, startled. He hadn’t seen Seiji this angry — not even close. The calm, logical man he knew was gone; this Seiji’s anger was sharp, born out of genuine fear.

He looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to... I just— it happens... I can’t stop it sometimes.”

"I don't fucking care. It’s dangerous, and you know the risks."

Hideaki flinched "I k-know... And—"

"And you're not giving a fuck about it. You losing it destroys other people’s things. But you don't care. That's why, you must  know one thing." Seiji lowered himself to Hideaki's eyes "We're not gonna play like that here. You broke it, you fix it. Simple."

Hideaki raised his eyebrows as if Seiji's statement surprised him.
"Eh? Fix it? With what, exactly? You think I carry tools and paint in my pockets?" He tried to joke it off but the tremor in his voice betrayed him.

A moment later his expression softened and a hint of embarrassment appeared in his eyes.
"I... don't know how to fix walls. Or boards. Or anything, really."

"Then you'll learn. You’re going to repair all of this," Seiji continued, his tone low and firm. "Every wall. Every mark. You’re gonna respect other people’s property—"
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"—and your own health. Because right now, you don’t respect either."

Hideaki swallowed hard, guilt burning in his chest. "I’ll... Tch!" He struggled with his thoughts, and then, after a moment of reflection, "A-alright! I-I’ll... Tch... I’ll try f-fix it." he said in a resigned voice.

Seiji crossed his arms, his gaze steady but still cold. "Good. You’ll start tomorrow. No magic. No shortcuts. You’ll do it the hard way — because maybe then you’ll learn something."

Hideaki hesitated, his voice small. "And if I mess it up?"

"Then you try again," Seiji said without hesitation. "I don't care if you have to learn how to plaster, paint, watch videos or call someone and work to pay them back – but you're gonna do it, until it’s done properly. I won't live in a wreck because you can't control yourself."

He leaned against the doorframe, looking at him with cold detachment.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence hung heavy between them, broken only by the ticking clock on the wall.
Finally, Hideaki lowered his head and muttered:
"...Idiot."

Seiji didn’t answer right away.

He just sighed — quiet but deep, more tired than angry now.
Then, as he turned to leave the room, he added under his breath:
"The only idiot here is you."