Chapter XXV

* POV: Sugahara -

I braced myself as the two thugs charge at me. The first one throws a wild haymaker that I manage to dodge. Using his momentum against him, I grabbed his arm and flip him over my hip, slamming him down hard on the pavement.

The second guy is on me immediately, raining down sloppy punches. I weave around most of them, but one glancing blow catches me on the cheek, making my head snap to the side. Grimacing, I drove my shoulder into his midsection, forcing him back a few steps.

"You little punk!" the first thug snarls, back on his feet. He rushes me again, leading with a telegraphed right cross.

I slipped under his wild swing with ease, then snapped my elbow up into his exposed ribs. He doubles over with a pained grunt. Not letting up, I grab a fistful of his shirt and yank him forward, bringing my knee up to smash into his face. A sickening crunch rings out as his nose explodes in a spray of blood.

The second thug recovers and tries to grab me from behind in a bear hug. I twist and squirm in his grip until I'm able to stomp down hard on his instep. He howls in pain, arms loosening enough for me to break free. I whirl and drive the heel of my palm up into his nose, making his head snap back.

The first thug is still doubled over, clutching at his ruined nose and wheezing. I grab him by the hair, wrenching his head back. With my other hand, I draw back and socked him in the face with all my might.

I breathe heavily, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I stare down the last thug standing. The two goons I just took out lie crumpled on the ground, unmoving.

The ringleader eyes his fallen comrades and then fixes me with a contemptuous smirk. "You don't scare me, punk!" he spits out, charging towards me.

I set my feet, preparing to meet his attack head-on. But at the last second, I catch a glint of metal as he pulls something from his pocket. My eyes widen when I realize it's a knife.

"Sugahara, watch out!" Kinoshita screams from behind me, her voice laced with terror.

I dodged his strike aimed towards my head.

I felt the blade wick my left cheek as my head turned.

This guy's insane! He's trying to kill me!

If I hadn't dodged, I would have lost an eyeball right there.

It was the this point that I truly realized just what kind of danger I was really in. A crazy person is swinging at me with a knife and I need to defend not only myself, but Kinoshita as well.

I couldn't believe this guy was pulling a knife on me. "That's not fair!" I shouted, though I knew my words were useless. This thug didn't care about fighting fair.

He just laughed and kept slashing at me with the blade. I managed to dodge and weave, but I was slowly getting backed into a corner. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kinoshita watching in horror, unable to do anything to help.

The knife sliced through the air right at my skull. I jerked my head back just in time, the sharp tip missing me by less than an inch.

Time seemed to slow down as I looked down and noticed the thug's feet were improperly balanced. He was leaning too far forward, all his weight on the balls of his feet.

In that split second, I knew what I had to do. As the knife came at me again, I swiftly kicked the thug's shin. His leg buckled and he started toppling forward. Before he could recover, I pulled back my fist and punched him square in the face.

There was a sickening crunch as my fist connected with his nose. The thug let out a gurgled yell.

The thug's grip on the knife loosened momentarily as he reeled from the punch, but he quickly tightened his fist again, slashing wildly towards me. I was completely backed into the corner now, with nowhere left to go. In desperation, I grabbed the lid of a nearby trash can and used it as a makeshift shield.

The knife pierced the thin aluminum with ease, getting stuck about halfway through. Seizing the opportunity, I kicked upwards, sending the trash can lid flying into the air. The knife was still embedded in it, wrenching the weapon from the thug's grasp.

He stared at his empty hand in shock, then glared at me with murderous rage. Letting out an incoherent yell, he charged forward and grabbed me by the shirt, slamming me back against the brick wall. I felt the breath leave my lungs at the impact.

The thug drew back his fist, aiming right for my face. Knowing I had only seconds to react, I smashed my own fist into his elbow as hard as I could. His arm buckled with a sickening pop.

Howling in pain, his grip slackened just enough for me to slip free. Without thinking, I tackled him to the ground. We crashed down in a tangle of limbs, throwing punches wildly. I managed to roll on top, raining down blows while he tried to shield himself.

My knuckles throbbed, slick with blood - his or mine, I couldn't tell. None of that mattered now. All I knew was that I had to take this psycho down before he could hurt me or Kinoshita.

I was seeing red. All I could think about was making this punk pay for threatening Kinoshita. My fists pounded down relentlessly, smashing into his face over and over. Blood spurted from his nose and mouth but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. This monster deserved to suffer.

Suddenly, Kinoshita's terrified screams pierced me in my rage-filled haze. "Sugahara, stop! You're going to kill him!" she yelled.

Series of Illustrations

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image [https://i.imgur.com/za9bYoz.jpg]

My fist stopped mid punch.

Suddenly I felt disoriented.

By…

By those words…

image [https://i.imgur.com/LEwLtwf.jpg]

"Sugahara, stop! You're going to kill him!"

"Stop! You're going to kill him!"

"You're going to kill him!"

"You're going to kill him,"

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZHTmD6T.jpg]

"I killed him"

image [https://i.imgur.com/r0O7tE8.jpg]

"Hello?! Earth to Sugahara!" Kinoshita yelled.

Kinoshita's words snapped me back into reality.. I froze, fist still raised.

I felt Kinoshita's hands grab the front of my shirt. With a sharp tug she hauled me to my feet and began dragging me bodily out of the alley.

She must have used all of her strength to pull me out.

She must have been terrified.

I'm sorry.

The bright sunlight at the alley's entrance made me squint and blink. I lifted my hands to shield my eyes, only then noticing the blood - dark and crusted over my knuckles.

Kinoshita kept marching resolutely forward, not slowing or looking back. I couldn't seem to make my legs work properly. I felt numb, disconnected from my body.

Kinoshita kept marching onward, half-dragging me along. I couldn't seem to form words through the fog in my brain. All I could do was let her guide me forward, away from the carnage.

The bright sun overhead felt alien and strange after the darkness of that alley. People milled about on the beach nearby, laughing, playing, enjoying the day - utterly oblivious to what had just happened.

A gentle breeze carried the scent of the ocean. Seagulls cried overhead. Waves lapped softly against the shore. It was such a stark contrast to the violence that just happened.

I collapsed onto the ground in front of the bathrooms, my head spinning and my lungs burning. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving me shaky and disoriented. Kinoshita knelt down beside me, gently guiding my head into her lap.

"The police are on their way," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I called them while you were... while you were fighting those guys."

I nodded weakly, not trusting myself to speak. The world seemed to be tilting and swaying around me. I closed my eyes, trying to regain some sense of equilibrium.

That's when I felt it - a warm, wet drop hitting my cheek. Then another. And another. Confused, I forced my eyes open and looked up at Kinoshita.

She was crying.

Tears streamed down her face, dripping off her chin and onto my skin. Her shoulders shook with quiet sobs as she cradled my head in her lap.

"Kinoshita..." I croaked out, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears.

"Thank you," she whispered, her words punctuated by shuddering breaths. "Thank you for saving me, Sugahara. I was so scared. I thought they were going to... I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, but the tears kept coming. I reached up weakly, wanting to comfort her somehow, but my arms felt like lead weights.

"You were so brave," Kinoshita continued, sniffling. "The way you fought them off, even when that guy pulled a knife... I've never seen anything like it."

I swallowed hard, the memories of the fight rushing back in vivid detail. The wild swings of the knife, the crunch of bone under my fists, the blinding rage that had consumed me...

"I'm just glad you're okay," I managed to say, my voice rough with emotion. "I couldn't let them hurt you. I would never let anyone hurt you."

Kinoshita smiled down at me through her tears. She gently brushed a strand of hair off my forehead, her touch feather-light against my skin.

We stayed like that for a long moment, the distant wail of police sirens growing louder. I knew there would be questions to answer, statements to give. But for now, all that mattered was that Kinoshita was safe.

I had kept her safe.

* * *

* POV: Kinoshita -

I watched as the three thugs were handcuffed and shoved into the back of the police car, the doors slamming shut behind them. My whole body was still trembling from the terrifying ordeal, but the tears had finally stopped flowing. I glanced over at Sugahara, who was sitting on the curb with a female police officer examining the cut on his left cheek.

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"It's not too deep, but you'll need to clean it and keep an eye on it," the officer said, gently dabbing at the wound with a cotton pad.

Sugahara winced slightly but gave her a nod. "Thanks, officer."

I felt a pang of guilt seeing the injury he had sustained while protecting me. If he hadn't been there, who knows what those men might have done. The thought made me shudder.

The officer turned to me. "Are you alright, miss? Do you need medical attention?"

I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself. "N-No, I'm okay. Just shaken up."

"You were both very brave," she said with a reassuring smile. "But you should consider yourselves lucky. Situations like this can escalate quickly."

Lucky didn't even begin to describe how I felt in that moment. Sugahara had put himself in harm's way for my sake, and I would be forever grateful. As the officer continued her report, I caught Sugahara's eye, and he gave me a weary but genuine smile that helped ease the tension in my chest.

I mouthed a silent "thank you" in his direction, hoping he could see the depth of my gratitude. He had been my hero today, and I knew our bond would only grow stronger after this shared experience.

I let out a shaky breath as the officer walked away, leaving Sugahara with a band-aid in his hand.

I carefully took the bandaid from Sugahara's hand, my fingers brushing against his calloused skin. "Here, let me put this on for you."

Gently peeling back the paper wrapping, I revealed the sterile adhesive pad. Sugahara turned his head slightly, giving me better access to the cut on his cheek. The sight of his injury still made my heart clench.

Leaning in closer, I delicately placed the bandaid over the wound, smoothing it down to ensure it stuck properly. I tried to ignore how close our faces were in that moment, his warm breath fanning across my cheeks.

"There, all done," I said softly, forcing a small smile as I pulled back. "Doesn't look too bad," I said.

"Thanks, Kinoshita. I really appreciate it," he responded.

A comfortable silence settled between us as we sat there on the curb, the chaos of earlier slowly fading into the background. In that moment, it felt like the rest of the world had melted away, leaving just the two of us in our own little bubble.

The sound of frantic footsteps approached, and I turned to see Kaori, Kojima, and Asari leading the rest of our group from the volleyball game. Their eyes were wide with concern as they took in the scene before them - the police car, Sugahara's bandaged cheek, and my disheveled appearance.

"AIya! What happened?" Kaori demanded, her voice laced with worry.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "We were attacked... by three guys," I explained, gesturing towards the police car.

Kojima's expression darkened as he glanced at Sugahara's injury. "Are you both okay?"

Before I could respond, Sugahara spoke up. "I'm fine, just a small cut. But those bastards cornered Kinoshita in the alley and tried to..." He clenched his jaw, the anger evident in his eyes.

Gasps rippled through the group as the gravity of the situation sank in.

"Sugahara protected me," I continued, my voice thick with emotion. "He fought them off and made sure I was safe."

Kaori's gaze softened as she looked at Sugahara with newfound respect. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "For keeping our friend safe."

Sugahara waved off her gratitude. "Yeah, of course,"

It had been almost 40 minutes since I had went missing.

I looked around at the concerned faces of my friends, feeling a rush of affection for their unwavering support. Kaori's brow was furrowed as she took in the scene before us.

"Maybe we should just head home," she suggested cautiously. "After everything that's happened..."

Before I could respond, Sugahara spoke up from beside me. "What? No way!" He pushed himself up off the curb, brushing off his shorts. "We still have that volleyball game to finish."

I couldn't help but smile at his determined spirit.

Kojima seemed to share his sentiment, a competitive glint in his eye. "He's right. We can't just leave it unfinished like that."

Asari nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, let's get back out there! Bet I can spike one right past your face, Sugahara!"

The tension that had gripped the group just moments before began to dissipate as the familiar banter resumed. Sugahara scoffed playfully at Asari's challenge.

"You wish! I'd like to see you try."

Even Kaori managed a small smirk, seemingly reassured by our friends' lighthearted attitudes. She gave me a pointed look.

"Well, if you're up for it." she snickered.

***

I took a deep, steadying breath, letting the salty ocean breeze fill my lungs. The fear and adrenaline from earlier were slowly ebbing away, replaced by a newfound sense of resilience.

I wrapped my arm around Sugahara's shoulders.

"Let's do this!" I exclaimed.

The afternoon sun beat down on us as we took our positions on opposite sides of the net. This was it - the championship game of our beach volleyball tournament, with bragging rights on the line. On one side stood Kaori and Asari, looking focused and determined. And on my side, I had my partner Sugahara.

After everything that had happened earlier, I was amazed we had even made it this far. But Sugahara seemed unfazed, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet and rolling his shoulders. His eyes met mine and he flashed me a reassuring grin.

"Let's finish this," he said confidently.

I nodded, feeling emboldened by his energy.

Asari served first, sending the ball sailing over the net. I received it cleanly, popping it up in the air right to Sugahara. He jumped up and spiked it down hard, scoring us the first point.

"Yeah!" I cheered, exchanging a high five with him.

Kaori served next, aiming right for me. I bumped it up towards the net, where Sugahara tipped it over for another point. We were off to a strong start, but I knew Kaori and Asari wouldn't go down easy.

As the game wore on, the momentum shifted back and forth. Dives in the sand, jumping spikes, blocks - we gave it our all. Sugahara and I had found our rhythm, working seamlessly together.

At match point, Asari slammed a spike right between us. I lunged, feeling the ball glance off my fingertips before it hit the sand. Tied up again.

"Don't mind!" Sugahara called out reassuringly. I gritted my teeth, wiping the sweat from my brow. One more point would decide it all.

Kaori lofted the ball high. I positioned myself, ready to receive. This was it - the final play that would determine who won our little tournament.

I took a deep breath, centering myself as Kaori's serve arced high above the net. My eyes tracked the ball, every muscle in my body tensing in anticipation.

Sugahara called out from beside me. "I've got it!"

He launched himself into the air, spiking the ball down with tremendous force. But Asari was there to dig it out, sending it sailing back over the net.

"Mine!" I shouted, scrambling into position.

I bumped it up high, giving Sugahara the perfect set. He ran in, leaping up and smashing the ball right between Kaori and Asari. They both went for it, but the ball ricocheted off Asari's arms and spun off into the sand.

We had scored!

"Yes!" I cried out, throwing my arms up in triumph. Sugahara let out a whoop of joy, rushing over and sweeping me up in a celebratory hug.

***

The scent of grilled meats and vegetables wafted through the warm evening air, making my mouth water. Kojima was hard at work behind the large barbeque pit, tending to the sizzling skewers with practiced flips of his tongs.

"Damn, Kojima, this is smelling incredible!" Asari called out, inhaling deeply. "You sure know your way around a grill."

Kojima smirked, adding another batch of marinated chicken to the scorching grates. "Years of experience. Gotta keep my skills sharp."

I settled down onto one of the beach towels we had laid out, reaching to grab a cold drink from the cooler. The sun was just beginning its descent, bathing the whole scene in a warm, orange glow.

Sugahara plopped down beside me, his shaggy hair tousled from our volleyball match earlier. "That was some pretty impressive playing out there," he said with an approving nod. "I'm glad I had you as my partner."

I felt my cheeks grow warm at the compliment. "Thanks, I had a great partner too." I nudged him playfully with my elbow.

He smiled widely at that. "We make a pretty unstoppable team, huh?"

"I'll say!" Asari chimed in, having overheard our exchange. "The way you two were covering the whole court was crazy." He let out an appreciative whistle. "Especially you, Kinoshita. Didn't know you could move like that!"

I gave an embarrassed laugh, at the compliment.

"Food's ready!" Kojima's voice rang out, cutting through our conversation.

We all scrambled up, grabbing paper plates and lining up eagerly. Kojima piled our plates high with teriyaki chicken, grilled veggies, and charred corn on the cob slathered in butter and spices.

I snagged a prime spot on one of the large blankets we had laid out, crossing my legs and digging into the heaping mound of food. The flavors exploded over my taste buds - sweet, savory, smoky perfection.

"Oh my god, this is incredible," I groaned in delight after my first few bites. The rest of the group murmured in agreement around mouthfuls of food.

As the sun continued its descent below the horizon, we ate and chatted and laughed together, enjoying these final moments of the beach day. An occasional ocean breeze would ruffle the edges of the blanket, carrying the salty tang of the sea.

I took a contented breath, letting the peacefulness of the moment wash over me. With great food, amazing friends, and the backdrop of a spectacular sunset, it was a good way to end the day.

I was savoring another bite of the perfectly grilled chicken when Aisawa suddenly spoke up.

"Hey Sugahara, you're bleeding!"

My head snapped up at her words, eyes immediately finding the red stain spreading across his cheek. The bandaid he'd applied earlier was soaked through, clinging precariously to his skin.

"Oh geez, let me take a look at that," I said, shuffling over to kneel beside him.

Gently, I peeled away the useless bandage. Underneath, the gash looked deep and angry, the skin around it swollen and bruised a nasty purple color. Fresh blood was still oozing from the wound.

"Yikes, that doesn't look good," Kaori murmured, leaning in to examine it with the flashlight from her phone. The bright beam cast Sugahara's face in an eerie glow, throwing the split in his cheekbone into sharp relief.

"It's really deep," she noted with a frown. "Might need stitches."

"Here, tilt your head this way," I instructed softly, carefully cleaning the bloody area with clean towels.

I bit my lip worriedly as Aisawa suggested Sugahara go get that nasty gash stitched up immediately. He just waved her off with a casual shrug.

"Nah, it's not that bad. Doesn't even hurt."

His nonchalant attitude only made me more anxious. That cut looked deep and jagged - it had to be painful. But Sugahara was stubbornly brushing off our concern like always.

We tried to continue our meal, but I couldn't stop glancing over at the steady trickle of blood seeping down his cheek. It made my stomach churn just looking at it. How could he act so blasé about an injury like that?

Kaori noticed my distress and gave me a reassuring pat on the arm. "Don't worry, I'll make sure he gets it looked at later."

I nodded gratefully, though her words did little to settle my nerves. As we cleaned up the remnants of our barbecue, Sugahara suddenly grimaced and brought his hand up to gingerly probe at the wound.

"Ugh, okay maybe it stings a little," he admitted through gritted teeth.

That was it - I couldn't stand by any longer while he suffered in silence.

"Sugahara, we're going to the ER right now to get that stitched up properly," I stated firmly, leaving no room for argument.

***

I watched Kojima and Kaori head towards the train platform, their figures growing smaller in the dim station lighting.

I had asked them not to accompany us because I felt as though this was my responsibility.

As we boarded the train towards the hospital, I could see him wince slightly at the pressure on his injured cheek.

"You doing okay?" I ask softly, studying his face with concern.

He offers me a pained smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, no big deal."

But his bravado falters as the train jolts into motion. He sucks in a sharp breath, hand flying up to cradle his wounded cheek gingerly.

"Actually...I'm kind of dreading getting stitches," he admits through gritted teeth. "Those needles freak me out."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? But you took on those three guys without even blinking!"

Sugahara lets out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah well, I can handle that. But medical needles?" He shudders. "No thanks."

As we pull into the next station, he suddenly shakes his head adamantly. "You know what, never mind. I'm not doing it. Let's just head back."

"What? No way, Sugahara!" I protested. "That cut is really deep, it definitely needs stitches."

He's already moving to stand, but I tug him back down firmly.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're going to get it treated properly," I insist, locking eyes with him. "I'm not taking no for an answer here."

Sugahara scowls stubbornly. "You can't make me, I'll just leave as soon as we get there."

"Like hell you will!" I snap back, my voice rising in frustration.

When the next stop arrived, Sugahara got up immediately.

I scrambled after Sugahara, as he stormed off the train, weaving through the crowd of commuters impatiently.

"Sugahara, wait up!" I call out, finally catching up to him on the platform. I grab his arm to stop him from going any further. "Where do you think you're going?"

He shrugs me off irritably. "I'm not going to the hospital, Kinoshita. You can't make me."

Sugahara whirls on me, eyes blazing with determination. "I said I'm not doing it!" he said, starting to sound angry.

I recoil at the harshness of his words, stung. Seeing my crestfallen expression, he seems to deflate a little.

"Look...I appreciate you looking out for me," he says gruffly. "But I really can't handle needles, okay? They freak me out."

Understanding dawns and I soften, placing a gentle hand on his uninjured cheek. "Hey, it's okay to be scared.

I gazed at Sugahara's stubborn expression, feeling sympathy. His fear of needles was clearly very real and the thought of getting stitches was causing him serious distress.

An idea suddenly occurred to me - a way to help him avoid the hospital while still getting his wound properly treated. I took a deep breath before speaking.

"What if...I did the stitches for you myself?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

Sugahara's eyes widened in surprise. "You? Can you even do that?"

I nodded firmly. "My mom works in the police force, she taught me some basic first aid and stitching skills when I was younger. I may be a little rusty, but I could definitely take care of that cut for you." I explained.

He looked doubtful. "I don't know, Kinoshita. Stitching up a wound seems pretty serious..."

"It'll be fine, I promise!" I insisted. "We can go back to my place, get you all patched up in the comfort of my living room. No scary hospitals or needles involved."

Sugahara chewed his lip, clearly mulling over the idea. Finally, he let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, if you're sure you can handle it. I trust you."

Relief washed over me and I gave him a reassuring smile. "You made the right call. Now come on, let's head to my place and get you fixed up."