At early morning, inside the hospital lobby, a man in his early 50s stepped up to the reception desk.
"Is there a patient by the name Kirishima?" he asked, voice calm but heavy. "He should've come in with a girl."
"Yes, sir," the nurse replied. "They were admitted late last night. May I ask who you are?"
"I'm his father. Masayoshi Kirishima."
"Understood. I'll take you to them."
As the nurse guided him through the corridor, two hired police escorts followed quietly behind.
Inside Emergency Room, nurses worked quickly. Arisuke Kirishima sat on the hospital bed, pouring alcohol over his wounds, injecting medication into his own arm, and wrapping fresh bandages.
His hand gripped Yuki Hanazawa's, who sat silently beside him.
The door opened.
"Arisuke!" Masayoshi called out as he rushed in. "You idiot—never listen to me! But… I'm glad you're safe."
"Dad… I'm sorry. And thank you for coming," Arisuke replied weakly.
Masayoshi turned to Yuki.
"Yuki, are you alright? I'm sorry my stupid son dragged you into this."
"Yes, Dad. I'm okay," she said with a faint smile—but in her heart, she was still thinking about Takumi.
Yuki glanced at the guards behind Masayoshi, then looked back at him, thinking they might can check Takumi for her.
"Dad… when we were there, someone sav—"
"Yuki!" Arisuke cut her off sharply, eyes wide with panic.
"I'm sorry, Dad. It's… nothing," she said quickly.
"I told her not to recall what happened last night," Arisuke explained, trying to sound calm. "I didn't want her to be traumatized."
Masayoshi sighed, shaking his head. "It's fine. I understand. But it's still your fault she was put in danger! You've always been reckless, Arisuke."
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry, Yuki-chan," Arisuke mumbled.
Control. Possession. A cage.
That was Arisuke's way of "protecting" Yuki—the very thing Takumi tried to free her from. But failed.
Yuki stood up.
"Dad's here now. I'm going to get some fresh air… take a walk around the hospital garden," she said softly.
"Stay here, Yuki," Arisuke said quickly, almost instinctively.
"Arisuke!" Masayoshi snapped. "Give her space to breathe!"
"…Okay," Arisuke relented.
"Thank you, Dad," Yuki said gently, and walked out—
leaving the father and son behind.
She ran straight to the reception desk, tears already streaming down her face.
"S-Sorry, I need to ask…" she panted, voice trembling. "Is there a patient named Takumi? Takumi Asahiro?"
The receptionist looked up gently. "Please hold on a moment… let me check."
A few clicks on the keyboard passed like eternity.
"I'm sorry… There's no one by that name admitted here."
"…Hahh… I see. Thank you," Yuki whispered, barely holding her voice together.
She turned away, eyes blurry, and rushed out into the hospital garden.
Dropping onto a bench, she clutched her chest.
"Takumi-chan… where are you?"
She wiped her tears, sniffling, breath uneven.
She pulled out her phone and dialed the police.
"Hello? I'm the same person who reported the robbery last night. Is there any update? Was someone… saved?"
"Good morning," the officer replied. "Unfortunately, we have no new updates yet. If anything changes, we'll contact you right away."
"…I see. Thank you."
The call ended.
Yuki couldn't hold it anymore.
She bolted to the nearest restroom—locked herself inside—
—and cried. cried loud.
Calling out Takumi's name again and again.
"If I had just said no to Aki-chan's request last night…
None of this would've happened. We wouldn't have been robbed.
And Takumi…"
Her tears soaked her cheeks.
"I'm sorry… Takumi, I'm sorry… Where are you now?"
Delayed by a flood of reports, the police only arrived at Takumi's battleground early that morning.
Seven bodies. All dead in brutal, unrecognizable ways.
Blood soaked the ground—
—but a trail of smeared crimson led away from the carnage, down a quiet path toward the nearby bridge.
One officer followed it, there, at the edge of the bridge, he found him.
Takumi Asahiro.
Left arm missing. Sitting against the bridge railing. Head bowed. Eyes half-lidded.
The officer reached for his radio.
"I found another one. By the bridge. Get a team over here—make sure medic team to pick this one up too."
He approached slowly, cautious, then knelt in front of Takumi.
Still. Silent.
A faint smile frozen on his lips.
The officer exhaled.
Gently, he reached out and closed Takumi's half-lidded eyes.
"…Oh my… what the hell happened to you, kid?" he whispered.
As Yuki cried in the restroom, her phone began to ring. She wiped her face, barely able to breathe, and answered with a weak voice.
"H-Hello…"
"Good morning, this is the Tokyo Police Department," a calm voice replied.
"We're calling about the robbery case near the Azabu district. We've found an update—eight bodies were discovered at the scene."
Yuki froze. Her heart stopped.
Eight?
There were only seven robbers that night.
If they found eight…
"Hello? Miss? Are you there? Can you hear me?" the officer's voice echoed through the phone.
Yuki didn't respond.
Her body slumped, leaning against the restroom wall.
Her grip loosened—and the phone slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor.
"…Thank you for your cooperation. Stay safe, and have a good day," the officer said faintly, before hanging up.
She didn't move. Her eyes were wide open, lifeless. And in that hollow silence—
Takumi's smile returned to her mind.
"Yuki-chan, here. You said you like cats… do you like it?"
He smiled, holding out the cat keychain, her birthday gift.
Her tears returned. But she didn't make a sound.
Only memories played in her head—while her heart shattered quietly.
About an hour passed—Yuki still hadn't moved from the restroom.
"I… I just want to see you, Takumi. Maybe… just one last time."
She wiped her tears, tried to stand. Her legs trembled under her.
As she walked down the hospital corridor, her voice barely steady, she called the police again.
"Hello, officer. It's me again… I need to know… where can I see the victim?"
"Good morning, miss. May I ask—what is your relation to the victim?"
"I'm his friend. Takumi Asahiro's close friend," she replied, voice cracking.
"Regarding Takumi Asahiro, you may visit the Tokyo Police Department Hospital Mortuary."
"...Hahh..." She couldn't hold it in anymore. Her body slid down the wall, knees buckling as the truth hit her.
Meeting Takumi. At the mortuary.
Her tears spilled again, heavier this time—as if her heart finally understood what her mind refused to believe.
She gripped her phone tightly, her voice trembling.
"Thank you… officer…"
She ended the call, her voice barely more than a whisper.
She took a taxi across the city. It was still early morning. The streets were calmer—but protests were already gathering outside government buildings.
Yuki stared through the taxi window with hollow eyes.
When she arrived at the Tokyo Police Department Hospital Mortuary, she pushed the doors open slowly.
There he was. Takumi Asahiro.
Lying still on a cold mortuary bed.
His smile, frozen on his face like it hadn't left him even in death.
"T-Takumi…"
Her voice cracked as she stumbled forward, tears flowing freely again.
But someone was already standing beside him.
A woman. Quiet. Composed. Eyes red, but dry.
Mira Kurasaki.
Yuki didn't care. Her eyes were only on Takumi.
"Takumi…" she whispered again, falling to her knees beside him.
"You must be… Yuki Hanazawa, right?" Mira asked gently.
Yuki just nodded, her voice lost to the sobs. She could only cry, whispering his name over and over.
"Takumi... Takumi...I'm sorry...I'm sorry"
As if saying it might bring him back.
Mira watched her, eyes heavy with sorrow, a quiet sadness etched across her face.
Her one last chance.
Mira let Yuki cry, giving her space to release the weight she carried. Quietly, she offered her a tissue.
"Here… take this," Mira said gently.
"I'm Mira… Mira Asahiro. A relative," she lying for now, for Takumi's sake.
"Just call me Mira, okay?"
"Thank you for being here, Mira-san," Yuki replied, her voice trembling. Her eyes never left Takumi's frozen smile.
Mira sat beside her. ""If you want to know why.. he faced seven armed men. Alone. using only his bare hands."
Yuki nodded slowly, more tears falling. "Yes… I know."
"You… knew?" Mira blinked, startled.
Yuki's body trembled. "It's my fault… It's all my fault. If only I'd said no that night—none of this would've happened…"
Mira stood frozen for a moment, her mind swirling with questions. But seeing the guilt breaking Yuki from the inside, she didn't say a word.
Instead, she pulled Yuki into a hug.
Yuki finally found her voice through the tears. she told Mira everything—how Arisuke had begged her to go clubbing that night. How his father never allowed him, but Arisuke insisted… and dragged her along.
She spoke of how the gang of bikers followed their car from that club and ambushed them.
"If I had just said no… if I hadn't agreed to go with him… this wouldn't have happened…" Yuki's voice cracked, grief spilling out with every word.
Mira listened in silence. Her hands clenched into fists as rage welled inside her.
If Arisuke stood before her now, she wouldn't hesitate to make him pay for the price Takumi had to bear.
But she couldn't.
Instead… her own tears fell.
Yuki broke down in Mira's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Mira-san… I'm so sorry… Takumi's gone because of me… haaahhh…" Yuki cried harder, her guilt overflowing.
Mira held her tighter. Knowing Yuki's life caged by Arisuke.
Takumi's words echoed in her mind, words heavy with resolve
"I'm going to save her… someday. That's my promise."
She gently ran her hand through Yuki's hair and whispered,
"I forgive you, Yuki-chan… I understand your position."
The one he love and one who loved him.