Letting Go

When the sun began to rise and when the birds were chirping, Kazuma finally opened his eyes.

"Ugh..."

It took him a moment to realize where he currently was.

"This ceiling..."

He slowly turned his head to the left and to the right.

"The hospital?" he muttered.

"That's right, Ichinose."

Kazuma turned to the right to identify the person.

"Ikari-san?"

Yousuke smiled slightly.

"Feeling better now?" he asked.

"I don't know..." Kazuma replied weakly as he averted his gaze from Yousuke.

"I see."

"Well, only time can help you now. And if you need someone to talk about it, then don't hesitate to call me." Yousuke added.

Kazuma nodded his head.

"For now, you should rest. The interrogation can wait this time."

Then, Yousuke prepared to leave the room.

"Uhm, Ikari-san?"

"Yes?"

"What will happen to Shinya and the others?"

Yousuke' expression turned grim.

"Kanazki Shinya..." Yousuke looked into the direction of the other bed which was behind the curtains.

"He will most likely be sent to the juvenile detention center. The fates of the others are still being discussed." he answered.

"Thanks for telling me..." Kazuma said while he gripped the blanket tightly.

Saddened, Yousuke stared at Kazuma.

He sighed.

"It's truly a shame to witness how young kids ruin their youth and future..." he stated.

"What will happen to me?" Kazuma muttered with his head hung low.

"..."

Yousuke took a moment to answer.

"Nothing. We'll just interrogate you later. That's it."

"What?" Kazuma looked up with a shocked expression.

"Shouldn't I also be punished? I mean... I tried to attack you, a police officer... And I tried to kill someone..."

"Normally, you would be right. But I handled it already." Yousuke shrugged his shoulder.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I made an exception. In the end, you didn't leave a scratch on me and you didn't kill anybody."

"But!"

"Oh, be quiet, will you? I already said that I handled everything." his tone got more annoyed.

"..."

"Words of gratitude are enough for me."

Kazuma was still dissatisfied but any further arguments would be in vain in front of Yousuke.

"T-thank you..." Kazuma said reluctantly.

"You're welcome." Yousuke responded with a proud smirk.

Thus, he left the room.

"No scratches, huh?"

Kazuma's eyes got more remorseful as he got reminded by the fact that Yousuke had a bruise on his cheek since Kazuma woke up.

"Tch. What a hero." he commented sarcastically.

He tried to fall asleep again but due to the previous talk and all the thoughts he had concerning the incident he was unable to sleep.

"..."

The silhouette of another person was visible through the curtains.

Not knowing how to kill time, he decided to take a peek at the other side. Therefore, he got up from his bed and silently sneaked to the other side.

Kazuma was aware that he should not do it but he could not help it. He was too bored.

His head emerged carefully from the curtains on the other half of the room.

He was finally able to get a view of his neighbor.

"Looks like you're awake now."

"S-Shiho?!"

Scratching his plan about being careful and silent, he removed the curtains abruptly when he saw Shiho in the bed.

She was currently reading one of the manga she requested to be brought to her. Hence the tall tower of manga beside her bed.

"What are you doing here?!" Kazuma asked hectically.

"Shhh! Be quiet! We're in a hospital!" she warned him while she put her finger on her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

"I'm here because I was also injured. After all, I had to fight that crazy girl." Shiho answered uninterested.

Of course that was not the whole truth. If she mentioned that her own brother stabbed her, then all hell would break loose in Kazuma's mind.

He was starting to let go of Shinya. Therefore, Shiho did not want to worsen his condition again. Furthermore, the injury she received did not bother her that much due to the wound not being too fatal luckily.

"Ah, yes, I remember..." Kazuma looked downwards as he bit his lips.

Shiho put her manga down.

"Geez, I imagine that you're giving yourself the blame for my injuries, right?"

"..."

"Just stop it. It was my decision to help you and that means that I have to take my own responsibilities." she said while she crossed her arms.

Despite having closed her eyes, her anger was still visible.

"Yeah..." Kazuma responded softly.

Then, Shiho was trying to take something out of her tower of manga.

"Seems like you feel as responsible as back then. Sometimes it can be a good trait and sometimes it can be annoying. Sorry to be blunt but this time it's annoying." she remarked without looking at him.

"Sor-"

"Here, take this."

She threw something to him.

"A manga?"

"Yeah. That's the one I forgot to return to you. You remember?"

A smile returned on Kazuma's face.

"Took you long enough, moron." he stated with a relaxed attitude.

"Be grateful that I even bothered to return to you after all those years!" she grinned arrogantly.

"Fine, fine. Thanks." he said shallowly before he went to his bed again.

After that, the two spent their time with reading manga and talking causally about trivial things now and then. It was as if time turned back for them.

And just like that, two days passed.

Knock. Knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

"It's me."

"Oh, yes, come in."

It was Yousuke who entered the room.

Shiho and Kazuma, who were reading manga, turned serious.

"Is it time for that?" Shiho asked.

"Yes."

"Alright, then let's do the interrogation quickly. I had to stop reading at a good point, after all." Kazuma said.

"..."

Yousuke gazed at Kazuma.

"Is something on my face?"

"No. It's just... I want to start with Shiho first. So could you please step outside for a moment?" Yousuke asked.

"What?"

"Kazu-kun. Please." even Shiho begged him with fierce eyes.

"O-okay, fine..."

Wondering why he was not allowed to listen, Kazuma left the room.

Kazuma decided to take a stroll in the hallways of the hospital.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"!"

While he was walking aimlessly, Kazuma heard a familiar voice in a room he passed by.

"It can't be..."

He stopped in his tracks and headed to the room where he heard the voice.

Slam.

Without even knocking, he slammed the door open.

The people in the room looked at Kazuma either fearfully or spitefully. One person just averted the gaze from him.

"Are you kidding me?" Kazuma rubbed his eyes.

In his vision were the Toujou cousins, Hirata and Kyouko.

"You-"

"Stay down Ryota!"

Ryota was about to burst in anger but was stopped by Daisuke.

"Seems like we ended up in the same hospital." Hirata commented.

"So do you want to continue?" he added with a grim look.

"..."

Kyouko continued to distance herself from the conversation.

"No." Kazuma replied.

"!"

Everyone apart from Kyouko was surprised.

"I think it's finally time for me to move on. Of course, there's still a part of me which wants to beat the crap out of you now but if I would allow that to happen then I would start from the start again."

"From the start? Why are you talking like years passed since we fought you?" Hirata asked.

Kazuma smiled faintly.

"I was just too stupid too realize it. There are people who are offering their help to me. And there are those whom I don't want to disappoint any further. Fighting you here and now would make their and my efforts be in vain." Kazuma explained.

"That's bullshit!" Hirata raised his voice.

"Call it what you want but I stick to my words. This time for sure." Kazuma responded firmly.

"..."

"Do you want to drop your act already, Hirata?" Kyouko meddled in.

"Shut u-"

"Just accept it! Shin-chan isn't here anymore! We all know that you try to look tough so that Shin-chan wouldn't discard you!"

"W-what are you talking about?!" he tried to defend himself.

"Don't play dumb! Even Daisuke and Ryota know it despite being muscle brains!"

The Toujou cousins averted their eyes from Hirata awkwardly.

"I see..."

Her words caused Hirata to back down. He clenched his fists.

"Kazuma."

"I... I..." Hirata tried to say something.

He got up from his bed and got on his knees slowly.

Bam.

He slammed his forehead on the floor.

"I apologize for my actions back then and now!"

Kazuma was taken aback by the apology.

"I... I just wanted us to be together back then! I trained so hard so that you wouldn't think of me as a hindrance! But it was all in vain after you announced that you wanted to leave! After that I fell into despair and got indulged in Shinya's madness..." he began to sob.

"I was scared of being alone! I had to be the tough guy so that I could stay Shinya!"

"I'm so sorry, Kazuma!"

"I see." Kazuma said without any emotions.

"However, I still won't forgive you."

Kazuma turned his back on them as he left the room.