"Well, what can I say, the world's unpredictable."
"…Takamine, you seem a little too pleased."
"Of course I'm pleased. I've never seen him suffer before. Finally, he goes outside and gets hit by a car, then takes an elevator and it falls. It's just too good. I wish I'd taken a photo of his face." Rinji laughed.
"Takamine, just asking—are you two blood relatives?"
"Yeah, of course."
"I see."
Mei assumed he must be Rinji's older brother or something, since they didn't look far apart in age.
"If that's the case, then as a member of Class 3-3, the curse likely affects him too. There's a high chance he's already—"
"You think he'll die? No way. At most, he'll just look ridiculous when something happens."
Still grinning, Rinji pulled out his phone to dial a number.
"One call and we'll know."
"…"
Mei froze when she saw the phone.
Because what Rinji took out was a kind of smartphone that wouldn't exist until the next century. Mei had obviously never seen a touchscreen phone before.
"What is that…"
"Hey, Dad, can you hear me?"
Before Mei could ask, Rinji's call went through.
Amid static, Isaac's voice came through clearly.
"What is it, kid? Calling at this hour."
"I heard your elevator suddenly dropped."
"Oh? Are you worried about your father—"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
"…That laugh is completely heartless. Your father nearly died and you're this happy?"
"Super happy~"
"Wow, what an unfilial son."
"So, are you buried in rubble right now? Need me to dig you out?"
"No need, I'm fine… Hey! Stay back."
"No, I'm scared!"
Rinji: "???? Dad, why do I hear a woman's voice over there?"
"She's the one who was in the elevator with me… Hey, you! Let go!"
"No…"
Rinji: "…"
Then he clearly heard the two of them:
"Don't let go. Hold me tighter."
"Hey!"
"I'm scared…"
"If you're scared then get out!!"
"No, I want to stay in your arms."
Rinji: "…Dad, let me ask you something."
"Huh?"
"Are you doing something in that elevator that would betray Mom?" Rinji narrowed his eyes.
"Kid, don't slander me…"
"Even if you are, it's fine. With our bond, I'd never tell Mom. But you'd better pay me hush money," Rinji said seriously.
"I think you've got the wrong idea about me."
"I believe in you, Dad. But there's a saying: if there's no problem, create one."
"You went straight from blackmail to robbery?"
"Yeah, you don't like it?"
"No wonder you're my kid. So ruthless and shameless, I feel relieved," Isaac laughed over the phone. "Say what you want. Let's see if your mother believes you."
"…"
Rinji realized his father was truly unshakable.
He hung up and looked at Mei.
"Anyway, let's head to the hospital."
"…Okay."
Listening to Rinji's conversation with Isaac, Mei had countless questions, but she didn't ask them. She simply followed Rinji toward the hospital.
---
"Thank you so much. If you hadn't been there at that time, my sister might have…"
"It was nothing."
Outside the hospital, police cars and a construction crew had already arrived.
The one bowing repeatedly to Isaac was a boy, Mizuno Takeru, Mizuno Sanae's younger brother.
After receiving the news that his sister had an accident at the hospital, he rushed over nonstop, so eager to confirm his sister's safety that he arrived even earlier than Rinji, who had been notified first.
Of course, when Rinji heard that his father had been in an accident, he came to the hospital leisurely, as if he was just here to watch the show.
Now the time had come.
"Yo, old man, you're okay?"
"With that deadpan tone, it doesn't sound like you're worried about me at all."
"Why would I worry about you? You're not the type to suddenly die in an elevator over a little accident, right?"
"That's true enough."
Takeru glanced at Isaac, then at Rinji, curious. "Takamine, you and him are…"
Rinji: "We're…"
Isaac: "Simply father and son."
"I see, so you're brothers?"
Naturally, Takeru didn't believe the whole "father and son" claim.
"Takamine, you saved a classmate at school, and now your brother saved my family outside. I really appreciate you two brothers."
Rinji: "No, this man really is actually…"
Isaac: "That's enough. As the saying goes, an elder brother is like a father. No matter what, I'm still your beloved old dad."
"If you weren't really my dad, I'd have killed you right now."
Shaking his head helplessly, Rinji turned to Takeru.
"Mizuno, how's your sister now?"
"Thanks to your brother, my sister wasn't hurt, but she was so shocked she fainted."
"She fainted?"
Rinji clearly remembered that when he had called his father, that woman had still been conscious.
He looked toward Isaac, who just shrugged.
"Oh, she was too noisy, so I knocked her out."
"…"
"Rinji!"
As they spoke, Misaki and Mei suddenly came out of a ward.
Seeing Rinji after so long, Misaki excitedly hugged him.
"Listen, I'm getting discharged tomorrow!"
"Ok, I know, but how about you let me go first…"
Click.
"Old man, what are you doing?"
"Just taking a photo," Isaac calmly put away his phone. "I heard you already have a girlfriend. Twenty years from now, I'll show this photo to her."
"Should I say, as expected of my old man? My shamelessness must be inherited from you."
"Flattered. But of course, she's also my future daughter-in-law, I couldn't possibly just…"
"Old man, my future girlfriend's name is Kure Karura."
"Hm?"
"Go ahead and show her the photo. See if she cares."
"…"