I'd never been hospitalized before, so there was a strange novelty to it. But my stay dragged on longer than expected. The reason? I'd been completely unconscious for a while, with no telling when—or if—I'd wake up. On top of that, I was malnourished.
"Malnourished?" Ryan gasped. "Ran, were you that bad at eating?"
"I mean, I ate... I think," I replied, uncertain.
"Care to share what you ate?" the doctor asked.
"Uh... fish paste and bean sprout stir-fry."
"...That's it?" Ryan's eyes widened.
"Well, sometimes I splurged and added carrots."
That was the extent of my meals, at least from memory. Money was tighter than I'd realized. My parents' inheritance was swiped by my uncle and aunt, and as a middle schooler, my only income came from evening newspaper deliveries. After utilities, rent, and food, I was barely scraping by. Even Tamamo Cross would've been shocked at my situation.
"Doctor, I'm stepping out for a bit," Ryan said suddenly. "I'm going to see Grandmother."
"Of course. I'll inform her as well," the doctor replied.
"Thanks. Make sure Ran rests, okay?"
"Y-Yeah, got it," I mumbled.
That conversation happened three days before my discharge. Now, I had to figure out what came next. My age was a problem—newspaper deliveries were about my only option. For now, I needed to focus on recovery. I stared at the IV drip, lost in thought.
"Ran! Come live with us!" Ryan burst through the door, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Ryan, this is a hospital," I said, startled by her enthusiasm.
"You, at the Mejiro estate?" I asked, incredulous.
"Yup! I got Grandmother's permission!"
Apparently, Ryan had gone straight to the Mejiro family matriarch, pleading to let her friend stay with them. After some thought, the matriarch agreed, meaning I could move in after discharge.
"Ryan, I appreciate it, but... it feels wrong to impose," I said, hesitating.
"Don't worry about it! Grandmother said, 'We can't let a promising Uma Musume succumb to such misfortune.'"
Not "Umaa-sama," but Grandmother said that? Her offer was undeniably generous. Still, I wavered. I'd never seen Ryan as Mejiro Ryan, just my friend. I'd never leaned on her family's influence, not once, despite my hardships.
"There's still my apartment to deal with," I pointed out.
"That's already handled. They said they'd take care of everything."
"At this point, do I even get a say?"
"Don't overthink it. Helping a friend is what friends do."
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her fists trembling as she gripped my hand.
"Please, let me help you," she whispered.
"...I don't know a thing about table manners," I warned.
"That's fine! I'll teach you everything!" she beamed.
"Sorry... and thank you. I'll take you up on it."
I couldn't let her kindness go to waste. I'd kept my struggles from Ryan, thinking they were mine alone. But that must've hurt her, left her wondering if she could've stopped me from attempting suicide. This time, I wouldn't push her away. I accepted her offer.
"This is my home, huh?" I muttered.
After discharge, I headed to my apartment to pack. It was a cheap, first-floor unit—my entire world until now. The Mejiro family had already handled the lease termination; all that was left was to gather my things.
"Let's do this," I said, opening the door.
A low creak revealed a cramped room. Old furniture sat neatly arranged, but the center was a mess, like a storm had hit. I'd thought I was tidy, but then I looked up. A frayed rope dangled from the ceiling.
"...So this is where Rampage tried to end it."
The chaos in the room was probably Ryan's doing, frantically trying to save me.
"What kind of person feels nothing seeing this?" I wondered aloud.
I'd lived here, tried to die here, but the memories stirred no emotion. Was it because I wasn't fully Rampage? I pushed the thought aside—Ryan was waiting. I started packing.
"No wonder Ryan didn't want to come in," I murmured.
She'd chosen to wait nearby, citing privacy, but this was where she'd found me hanging. She wouldn't want to relive that. Sorting took less than an hour. My belongings were pitifully few—barely three or four days' worth of clothes, including underwear.
"This is really all a middle school girl owns?" I muttered.
It was a stark reminder of how hard things had been. I gathered everything, shouldered my bag, and paused. Leaving this room meant Rampage—me—would truly start anew. Was I ready?
Live freely from now on.
A voice, sudden and clear, made me turn. Nothing was there. My imagination? Yet my chest felt lighter, unburdened.
"...Got it. Take care," I said to the empty room.
With that, I stepped forward, shaking off my past. Ryan was waiting outside.
"Keep you long?" I asked.
"Nope. You done?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
I glanced back at the place that had once been mine and whispered, "Rampage... I'll live up to my name and run wild."
"You will, Ran. I know you will," Ryan said with a smile.