Running Back to You

“…why did I end up here?” I glared resentfully at the delinquents who sat around me.

“I think I’ll go with a burger this time.”

“You always pick that whenever we come here! Try something else, dude! You’re missing out on life!”

“It’s my choice, so buzz off!”

A pair of delinquents sitting across the table argued noisily.

“Then, I’ll have French fries, fried chicken, rice, and also apple pie.”

“Man, you have quite an appetite for someone so small.”

“…you wanna try saying that again, Senpai?”

The other two delinquents sitting next to me were having a more civilized discussion, though it could turn into a fight at any moment.

“Listen to me, dammit!” I snapped at those four delinquents, my voice was loud enough to disturb everyone in the fast-food restaurant.

“Ryuu, tone it down a bit—you’re troubling everyone here.” Kazu, the only senior among us, chided me.

“A-Ah, I’m sorry…wait, why am I apologizing?! Isn’t this basically your fault for kidnapping me?!” I lowered my voice as I protested.

“What do you mean, kidnapping? We just took you to hang out with us like usual, that’s all.” Abe, the other delinquent, shrugged nonchalantly.

“Hanging out?! As if!” I hissed back at him, irritated by his carefree attitude. “I never said ‘yes’ to this, and we’re not supposed to hang out together in the first place! I’m a Student Council officer now, remember?!”

“So what?” Touma, the delinquent who sat next to me, replied in a matter-of-fact tone. “Ryuu-san is still Ryuu-san. Whether you’re in the Student Council or not does not matter. Or are you saying that being a Student Council officer changed you into a completely different person?”

“…” I fell silent, unable to retort the first-year delinquent.

“That’s right, Ryuu! Even if you’re in the Student Council, or even if you transferred to another school, you will still be our friend!” Narumi, the remaining delinquent and also the unfortunate guy who once received burnt cookies from Sakuya, added passionately.

“…is that true?” I stared at the four of them with suspicious eyes, trying to discern their real motive. “I find it hard to believe that you guys simply want to hang out with me when you’re supposed to be busy studying.”

Once I mentioned the taboo word, all four of them instantly groaned. Even Touma, the most diligent among the delinquents, averted his eyes.

“…well, to be honest, Ouji asked us to check on you.” Kazu folded and confessed quite easily. “In exchange for letting us skip the study session today, we’re supposed to make sure how you're doing with the Student Council.”

“Ouji-senpai did, huh?” I whispered, feeling somewhat disappointed. I had secretly wished that it was Sakuya's order, but apparently she no longer had any interest in me.

“And since we have the privilege to skip studying, we decided to just go ahead and hang out like we used to!” Abe chimed in. “So let’s forget about all of these complicated problems and just have fun!”

“Agreed! So, I’ll order a burger! Touma, write it down, okay!” Narumi resumed ordering as if nothing happened.

“Again?! Why don’t you try something else for a change? This is why you’re never popular with girls!” Abe nagged at his childhood friend.

“As if ordering something different can get you a girl! Are you stupid?!”

“Haa?! How dare you call me stupid?!”

“What’s wrong with calling a stupid person, stupid?!”

The edge of my mouth inadvertently curled into a slight smile as I heard their banter that I’d missed so much. These two were best friends since a long time ago, though they claimed that they were simply stuck with each other. Those two bickering was a common sight in the delinquent’s base.

“Ah, you finally smiled.” Kazu remarked as he stared at me warmly.

I quickly wiped out my smile and averted my eyes. “Kazu-senpai, you’re done checking on me, right? I’m completely fine, so I’ll go home now.”

“Well, hold on for a bit. Won’t you hang around a bit longer, for the sake of your friends?” Kazu asked.

I exhaled a sigh. Ouji made the right decision in sending Kazu and the others. While I had befriended most of the delinquents, I was particularly close with them. We’d hang out together not just inside the base, but also outside the school. Though, at most we’d just eat together in a restaurant or play around at the arcade, just like any other normal students.

“For your information, it was Hiiro-san who chose us.” Touma added helpfully. “Ouji-senpai wanted to go by himself, but Hiiro-san stopped him.”

I burst out in laughter. “I see, no wonder his plan succeeded. Alright, I’ll go along with you guys just for today. Touma, I’ll order a burger, okay?”

“I understand, Ryuu-san.” Touma smiled in relief and went to the counter.

“So, how’s the Student Council, Ryuu?” Kazu supported his chin and asked me casually.

“I’m not going to leak any inside information, if that’s what you’re asking.” I eyed him warily.

Kazu always seemed so carefree and relaxed, but he wouldn’t lose to Hiiro in terms of cunningness. While he was a good Senpai who took care of his juniors, he was also someone you couldn't let your guard down around.

“No, that’s not what I’m asking. Though, I’ll still accept it gladly if you’re offering.” Kazu laughed. “Are you doing well in the Student Council? Isn’t it difficult for you, who used to be the part of us? Are they being suspicious of you?”

I began telling him about my busy days in the Student Council. Before I realized it, Abe and Narumi had stopped bickering to listen to me. Even Touma, who had returned after putting in our order, also listened closely. It felt like we had come back to that time before the bet happened, and it brought warmth to my chest.

“Aah…I hate to admit it, but I really do miss these guys.” I thought to myself. “They might be quirky and delinquents, and yet…they’re also my friends.”

“I see, you also had it tough over there.” Kazu grinned.

“Tell me about it. Marika-senpai completely deceived me!” I complained.

“But you’re so amazing, Ryuu!” Abe praised me with sparkling eyes. “How did you come up with such brilliant solutions to solve those problems?”

“Uhh…” I averted my eyes. I couldn’t exactly tell him that I learned all of it from watching how Sakuya dealt with the delinquents.

“Speaking of which, has the Student Council heard about Takamine Academy’s students picking fights with us lately?” Kazu smoothly changed the topic when he saw my discomfort.

“Yeah, we have.” I nodded. “We’re a bit surprised that Takamine students are picking fights indiscriminately. They don’t even care if the opponent is a delinquent or not—as long as they’re wearing Sakurasaki Academy’s uniform.”

Then I realized something.

“Wait, could it be that it was you guys…?” I stared at Kazu suspiciously.

“No, it’s not us.” Kazu quickly shot the idea down. “Where in the world do we have enough leisure to pick a fight with another school? Kagura-san will wring our neck if we get distracted from studying.”

“True.” I nodded, convinced by his reasoning.

“Hey, enough with the boring talk!” Narumi complained as he munched on his beloved burger. “Listen to this! I heard Yuuji was rejected by another girl yesterday! It’s, like, his fifth rejection this month!”

“Seriously? He sure is stubborn, huh?” Kazu remarked half in awe, half in exasperation.

“Yeah, he said that he would definitely date a girl during high school, so he keeps confessing to random girls every few days.” Abe shook his head. “That guy said he won’t lose to Touma, who already got a girlfriend in middle school.”

All of us stared at the first-year, who was busily chowing down his full-course meal.

“Hm? What?” Touma asked with puzzled look.

If you ignored the fact that he was a delinquent, Touma was diligent and serious, with a cool looks and taciturn demeanor. He was the kind of person who got a bunch of chocolates during Valentine from all the girls and got confessed to quite regularly. It made me—no, all of us wonder why he became a delinquent in the first place.

“Touma, seriously, why did you choose to become a delinquent?” I asked him out of curiosity.

“Because it’s cool.” Touma answered instantly, without any hesitation. “When I first enrolled and saw Kagura-san beating up two delinquents who threatened a new transfer student into submission, I was awestruck by her overwhelming might. I want to become strong like her, so I chose to follow her as a delinquent.”

His gaze was sparkling with such innocent admiration that it was practically blinding. We all averted our eyes, having confirmed that even the most normal-looking delinquent among us also had some loose screws.

Kazu coughed awkwardly and changed the topic. “Speaking of which, have you watched that movie…?”

As we chatted about random and mundane topics just like any other high school boys, I didn’t even realize the passing of time. When we got out from the restaurant, the sun was about to set.

“It’s already this late, huh? Time sure flies when we have fun.” Narumi muttered regretfully.

“Um…Kazu-senpai, Abe, Narumi, and Touma…” I bowed to the four of them. “Thank you for dragging me here and hanging out with me. A-And…I’m sorry for ignoring you guys this past week.” I spoke quickly to hide my embarrassment. “Please hang out with me again sometime. Preferably after the exams have ended.”

Kazu laughed and tousled my hair roughly. “Stop saying such embarrassing things, idiot. Just give us a shout and we’ll go play somewhere like usual.”

“That’s right! Ryuu, you don’t need to be shy! Why don’t we hang out again tomorrow?” Narumi clung to my shoulder and asked with a wide, goofy grin.

“Are you an idiot? We still have our study session, you know!” Abe rebuked his friend.

“But we still don’t know if Kagura-san will recover enough to come back tomorrow, right?! Why don’t we—”

“Idiot! Shut up!”

Abe quickly covered Narumi’s mouth, but it was already too late. I backed away from Narumi and scanned the four of them with renewed suspicion.

“Wait a second, what happened to Sakuya-san? What do you mean, recover?! Is she okay?!” My voice rose with every question I threw at them.

However, they all averted their eyes, refusing to answer.

“Touma! Tell me what happened!” I turned toward the youngest delinquent and grabbed his shoulders. “Is she alright?! Why didn't you say anything about this?!” I shook him violently.

“T-That’s…” Touma shot a pleading gaze to Kazu, asking for his help.

“Ryuu, I’ll tell you what happened, so let Touma go. You’re scaring him.” Kazu yanked my hand away from his underclassman.

“A-Ah…sorry.” I belatedly realized how shaken Touma was.

“To tell the truth, we don’t want you to know about this.” Kazu scratched his head with a bitter look. “Ouji and Hiiro forbid any of us from telling you this, since they don’t want to worry you. But in the end you found out anyway.”

“Senpai, is Sakuya-san alright?” I pressed him anxiously.

“…she collapsed today.” Kazu confessed in a heavy voice. “Right after the classes ended. I don’t know all the details, but Kagura-san was called by her new homeroom teacher to discuss something. After that, she tried going to the practice hall, but she collapsed midway. She was taken to the infirmary.”

“C-Collapsed…” I subconsciously took a step back. I knew that Sakuya was stressed out by the bet, to the point that she couldn’t sleep well, but for her to collapse? That strong, invincible Kagura Sakuya?

“Ryuu-san, it’s nothing serious.” Touma added from behind Kazu. “The nurse said that she’s simply exhausted. If she rests well, she’ll recover just fine.”

“Eh? But I heard that she collapsed because she keeps skipping her meals?” Abe asked in confusion.

“Now that you mentioned it, I haven’t seen her eat lunch this past week. She’s always glaring at her textbooks, making more hellish homework for us.” Narumi, who was in the same class as Sakuya, confirmed.

“…it’s my fault.” I clenched my fist, wanting to punch myself. “It’s just like what Ouji-senpai said. I abandoned Sakuya-san and let her bear all the burden by herself. I shouldn’t have given up so easily. I should’ve tried harder to convince her, or even told those guys in her stead. This is the result of my cowardice.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Kazu’s words made me look at him in surprise. It was as if he could read my mind.

“Well, maybe it was partly your fault too?” Kazu corrected his words with an impish grin.

“Senpai…please return my gratitude just now.” I groaned.

“But we’re the ones closest to Kagura-san. We’re supposed to notice how much she was pushing herself for our sake.” Kazu said with a rare serious look. “We’re complete idiots. There’s no way this is just one of her whims. Who would push themselves to the point of collapsing just for a whim? Each and every one of us bear the same fault for not realizing this. So, it’s not just your fault, Ryuu.”

“Kazu-senpai…” I bit my lips.

His words felt like salvation to me, who was relentlessly blaming myself. The pain in my chest subsided and my mind cleared up. Thanks to him, I’ve made my decision.

“Where is Sakuya-san now? Has she gone home already?” I asked them.

“Hmm…I think she’s still at school. Ouji and Hiiro are keeping an eye on her, making sure that she wakes up just fine.” Kazu answered.

“Then I’m going back to school. Thanks for telling me, Kazu-senpai, Touma, Abe, and Narumi!” Without wasting another second, I sprinted back toward the school.

“Aaand he goes to find her, just like we predicted.” Kazu sighed.

“Kazu-senpai, sorry we messed up earlier.” Abe bowed his head to Kazu while forcing Narumi to bow as well. “We’re not supposed to talk about Kagura-san until Ryuu brought it up first, but this idiot…”

Abe glared at Narumi, who blatantly avoided his eyes.

“No, in the end all is well.” Kazu waved his hand. “Jeez, Hiiro really knows how to manipulate people like a doll. It all went just as he predicted.”

“But, why did Hiiro-san make us do it in such a roundabout way?” Touma, the innocent first year, asked. “If he just wants us to tell Ryuu-san about Kagura-san collapsing, then we don’t need to drag him all the way here and make excuses about checking up on him.”

“Listen up, Touma. Every man has their own pride, you see.” Kazu ruffled Touma’s hair. “If we just straight up go to Ryuu and tell him about Kagura-san, his pride will get in the way. There’s no way he’ll take the initiative to approach Kagura-san, not after that big fight. So we’ve got to set everything up first.” Kazu winked at him.

“…Senpai, has anyone ever told you that you’re as black-hearted as Hiiro-san?” Touma narrowed his eyes.

“Ha! I’m not the second strongest in my year for nothing, you know!” Kazu laughed aloud. “I may lose to Ouji in terms of strength, but I won’t lose to anyone in terms of manipulating other people!”

“But you did lose to Hiiro.” Abe quipped.

“Yeah, he got the ‘intelligence-gathering team leader’ title from Kagura-san, while no one knows about you, Senpai.” Narumi rubbed more salt to the wound.

“Oh, shut up! I’m doing intelligence gathering from the shadows, you got it?!” Kazu retorted with red face. “Even Hiiro acknowledged my prowess!”

“So…does that mean you’re his subordinate?” Touma innocently asked.

“Argh, dammit, yes, I’m his subordinate! You got a problem with that, huh?!”

Kazu’s frustrated scream resounded to the red-tinted sky.

*****

As I ran with all my might toward the school, I started recalling everything that happened up until this point. Now that my anger had dissipated once I knew Sakuya collapsed, I could see things clearly. I finally understood what that strange, unidentifiable feeling of irritation I kept feeling back then.

I just wanted her to truly rely on me.

Not just entrusting more work to me, or expecting me to follow her orders well. I wanted her to treat me as an equal, a partner that she could rely on.

In a sense, I guessed I wanted to be a special existence to her.

“Damn it…” I brushed my hair back with a bitter smile. “Guess now I can’t insult those two for being so devoted to Sakuya-san when I’m in the same boat.”

The moment I reached the school, I immediately headed toward the infirmary.

Bang!

“Sakuya-san…!”

“Kagura-san, where the heck did you run off?! Don’t you know that you’re not completely fine…yet…huh?”

I was taken aback when the school nurse started lecturing me the moment I barged inside. The nurse’s eyes widened when she realized that I wasn’t the person she was looking for.

“Ah…I’m sorry, I thought you’re my runaway patient. I haven’t seen you lately, Shiba-kun. Do you have more patients for me to patch up?” The nurse, Sasaki, greeted me warmly.

Since I frequently came to the infirmary bringing injured students with me, Sasaki had remembered my face clearly. It ticked me off that she’d associate me with injured students, but it was the result of my own actions, so there’s no helping it.

“Uh…no…I was busy lately with Student Council works…anyway, did you say that Sakuya-san escaped from here?” I quickly changed the topic so I wouldn’t have to explain about my fight with Sakuya again.

Sasaki sighed in exasperation. “She woke up just a moment ago. I sternly told her to just go home since she’s still not fully recovered, but she insisted that she can’t go home yet. I left for a moment to call her guardians—Mikado-kun and Mikoto-kun, yet when I returned, Kagura-san has completely vanished. I swear, she’s such a handful!”

“I-I see…do you know where—?” I tried asking her, but Sasaki kept ranting off and didn’t hear me.

“She’s always being so reckless! You’ve seen it yourself how many times she has troubled me by sending in students she injured in a fight! Right when I thought things have calmed down a bit this year, she suddenly started another big fight a few months ago! Do you know how hard it is to take care of dozens of injured students at once?! I’m literally the only nurse around, you know?! Just because I don’t have a boyfriend doesn’t mean I’m married to my work!”

Sasaki panted heavily once she has finished her rant. Then she finally noticed my awkward look and quickly regained her composure.

“A-Ahem, putting that aside, Shiba-kun, can I trouble you to look for Kagura-san as well?” Sasaki acted as if her previous rant never happened. “I’ve asked those two to search for her and take her home, but it seems they haven’t found her yet.”

“I-I’ll do so. Thank you for telling me, Sasaki-san…and good luck with your work.” I quickly bowed to her before running off.

Whenever Sasaki started ranting about her love life, it was never a good sign. Experience had told me to run away from the infirmary as fast as I could before I got stuck listening to her for hours.