Meeting Of The Main Force

Back to the present.

"Sniff... sniff..."

Yui was currently trying to hold her tears back after she heard Kazuma's whole past.

"Here."

Kazuma handed her some tissues to wipe off her snot and tears.

"Sniff.. thanks..."

"That's the end, I suppose." he shrugged his shoulders.

"But sniff... didn't you confront Kanzaki or the others?" she asked while she was wiping her eyes.

"I tried to but I haven't seen them again since then. They changed the hideout of the gang, their phone numbers and even their residence." he gazed fiercely at the table.

"I don't even know yet why they did it."

"..."

Looking at her tears flowing down her cheeks, he sighed.

"You know what? Let's stop with this gloomy topic. I've told you everything I wanted. You can stay here to calm down. In the meantime, I'll prepare dinner for us." Kazuma suggested as he stood up.

He walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

"Now, let's see..."

He analyzed the content of the refrigerator.

"Hey, Yui. What do you w- Woah!"

When he turned around to Yui, so that he could ask what she wanted for dinner, she was already standing close to him.

"W-what are you doing?!" he was startled by her.

"..."

Yui gripped the ends of her skirt tightly to control her trembling.

Puff.

She hugged him out of nowhere.

"H-huh?"

Not knowing what to do, he waved his hands wildly in the air.

"... all the time..." 

"You were in unimaginable pain all the time without anyone knowing about it..." she muffled.

Her hug tightened.

"I'm so sorry for not noticing... I knew that you've lost your parents but after seeing your face a few days after that, I thought that you were trying to overcome it. I barely knew you back then and therefore I thought that it would be better that I didn't meddle into your affairs..."

"But I was wrong... You just hid your pain and suffering... You didn't want anyone to know... Right?"

Kazuma did not reply. He just bit his lips as he returned the hug.

It was silent for a while.

"It was so painful..." Kazuma muttered.

"Yes, tell me your feelings..."

"Even today, I still miss them!"

His voice started to quaver.

"It's unfair... I still wanted to show them so much more!"

"Everything I wanted was to spend time time with them. So why did they have to die?"

"Sniff..."

Yui only listened to Kazuma venting out his emotions.

More than half an hour passed until they let go of each other.

The two had watery eyes. And despite that, they smiled at each other.

"Thanks, Yui."

"No, I should thank you for opening yourself up to me."

Yui took a step backwards and leaned on the wall.

"I know it's very insensitive of me but..."

"Hm?"

"What do you plan to do if you see Kanzaki?" she asked and looked straight into his eyes.

"..."

His face became grimmer.

"I guess I will hear him out firstly. Depending on his reasoning, I will try not to kill him." he replied as his eyes got sharper and more intimidating.

"B-but I'm sure that your parents-"

"i know what you're trying to say and you're right. However, I don't care if it's right or wrong. He took those from me whom I loved the most. He should know better than anyone else what will happen to him."

"..."

Yui did not say anything. She knew that it would be impossible to argue. What else could snap him out of his vindictive thoughts if even ethics and morals could not sway him?

Buzz.

"Oh, sorry!"

"No problem, go ahead."

She checked her phone after she noticed that she received a message.

"It's my mom. She said I should pick up Rika from her friend's house."

"Should I come with you?"

"No need to. The house is only a few minutes away from here."

"I see."

Both of them went to the entrance where Yui put on her shoes.

"See you tomorrow then!" she waved her hand while she forced a smile on her face.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Kazuma smiled back without noticing Yui's act.

She heaved a heavy sigh after she went outside.

Thud.

"Oh, sorry!"

"It's fine."

Not watching where she was going, Yui bumped into a girl.

"Hm? Is something wrong?" the girl tilted her head.

"N-nothing at all!" Yui waved her hands in denial.

Yui unconsciously stared for too long at the girl.

The girl had long brown hair and emerald green eyes. Furthermore, she wore the school uniform of the all-girls school in Adachi.

"I see. Well, I have to go now." the girl walked away.

"..."

While she was walking, Yui watched her back thoughtful.

"How weird... Why does it feel like I know her?" she muttered.

"Whatever. First of all, I need to pick up Rika."

She cleared her mind and started to move from her spot.

A few minutes passed.

Whereas Yui arrived at Rika's location, the girl, whom Yui bumped into, was approached by a tall guy.

"Hey, Shiho, long time no see!"

"Don't call me like that, Miller."

"Wow! You sure turned cold just like Shinya said."

"..."

Hirata was excited to see Shiho again for the first time after two years but got brushed off coldly by her. Unlike him, Shiho was annoyed.

"Geez, are you perhaps still mad at us?" he sighed.

"Watch your tone." Shiho glared at him spitefully.

"Oh, how scary." he commented playfully as he shrugged his shoulders.

Not exchanging any words anymore, the two walked with a distance to each other until they arrived at a certain building.

"Seems like Shinya's already there." he stated while he moved to the front door.

"..."

"Nervous from entering your previous home after all these years?" he teased her.

"Shut it." she rebuked.

Then, they entered the house. There was a pair of shoes at the entrance and the lights in the living room were already on.

"Hey, Shinya! We're here now!" Hirata called Shinya as he went to the living room.

"Hm? You're the first ones to arrive."

While watching TV, Shinya took a glance at Hirata.

"It's been a while, Shinya." Shiho greeted her brother with a fierce look.

"Oh, Shiho! I'm so happy to see you again! How long has it been? Two years?"

Shinya shot up from the couch and wanted to hug her.

Slap.

"Don't touch me."

Shiho slapped his hand away.

"I see."

Losing his interest, he was about to sit back down.

"Wait. What's the meaning of this?"

She took out her phone and showed him a message.

[Come to our old home in Shinjuku. It's about Kazuma.]

"It's so sad, you know? I called and texted you so many times, however, you ignored every last one of them. You only react if it's about Kazuma..." Shinya acted as if he was hurt.

"Cut the act and get to the point." she demanded furiously.

"Fine, fine. I wa-"

Ding dong.

"Must be the others." Hirata said.

Hirata opened the door for the new guests and led them to the living room.

"Hey, Shin-chan!" a cheerful girl appeared.

"Yo, Kyouko." Shinya waved his hand.

Yame Kyouko was a girl in the second year of high school. She wore her uniform loose, revealing her tanned skin and cleavage. She had a dyed blonde bob cut and brown eyes. Her colorful fingernails, multiple accessories and socks, which almost covered her entire calves, added to her impression as a typical gal.

"Sorry, we're late. Some twerps picked a fight with us."

"Yeah, it took us longer than expected."

Two black-haired boys entered the room.

"No worries, Ryota and Daisuke."

Toujou Ryota and Toujou Daisuke were cousins at the same age. Despite not being twins, the two 17 year old boys were almost identical. Both were high school dropouts and were currently active in shady businesses. The two had bowl cuts and golden eyes. They wore gray sweatpants and black muscle shirts. The only difference were the places of their tattoos. Only Ryota's right thick arm was tattooed whereas Daisuke had tattoos on the other arm.

"Hm? Who's that chick?" Ryota pointed at Shiho as he licked his lips.

"My sister." Shinya answered with a smile.

"!"

Kyouko and the Toujou cousins flinched.

"I didn't even know that you had a sister! Why didn't you tell us, Shin-chan?" Kyouko latched into his arms.

"Hehe, I forgot..." he laughed wryly.

"Ahem. That's not the point of today's meeting." Shinya cleared his throat.

As his expression got more serious, the atmosphere in the room got more intense.

"I've called you all here to discuss the upcoming fight. Our opponent this time is a new gang or rather, only one certain person." Shinya stated with an eerie grin.

"One person? Is he tired of living?" Daisuke asked confused.

"Why exactly are we all needed? Couldn't just one of us handle him single-handedly?" Ryota added.

"Under normal circumstances I would agree with you but this time it's a special person." Hirata answered while crossing his arms.

A photo was dropped on the floor by Shinya.

Shiho could not believe her eyes.

It was a photo of Kazuma.