The antiseptic smell of the nurse's office was the only thing that kept Takuma grounded as he sat on the examination bed, his bruised body still throbbing with pain. Miu sat beside him, her hands wringing nervously in her lap. She hadn’t left his side since the fight, her resolve as strong as ever, but Takuma could see the worry etched into her features. The nurse worked quietly, tending to his injuries, the sound of bandages being unwrapped and the clink of metal tools filling the otherwise silent room.

As the nurse finished patching up Takuma's wounds, she glanced at Miu, her expression stern. "You need to be careful. Things like this shouldn’t be happening, not at school."

Miu nodded solemnly. "We’ll be more careful."

The nurse shook her head slightly, but didn’t say more, instead leaving them with instructions to rest and avoid further strain. As soon as the door closed behind her, Miu turned to Takuma, her eyes filled with concern.

"Takuma, I know you said it wasn’t my fault, but..." Her voice wavered as she spoke.

He reached out and gently took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It really isn’t, Miu. Daichi’s been looking for an excuse to come after me. But now, we know what we’re up against. We just need to be smart about it."

Miu nodded, though the tension in her shoulders remained. “We can’t keep getting caught off guard like this.”

“Agreed,” Takuma said, his mind already racing with thoughts on how they could avoid another ambush. “But I don’t think Daichi is going to stop until he gets what he wants. We need to be ready for anything.”

Miu bit her lip, clearly deep in thought. “Maybe we should talk to someone—get help.”

Takuma hesitated. Part of him wanted to handle this on his own, to prove he could stand up to Daichi without needing anyone’s help. But another part of him knew that going up against Daichi and his gang alone was a dangerous gamble. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the door to the nurse’s office slammed open with a bang, making them both jump.

Aya stood in the doorway, her face pale and her eyes wide with panic. “Miu, Takuma—you need to come with me. Now.”

“What’s going on?” Miu asked, standing up immediately, her hand still clutching Takuma’s.

Aya took a step inside, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting someone to be following her. “It’s Daichi. He’s not done. He’s rallying a group to ambush you after school, near the old gym.”

Takuma felt his blood run cold. The old gym was one of the most isolated spots on campus, a place where Daichi and his gang could corner them without any chance of teachers intervening.

“How do you know this?” Takuma asked, his voice steady despite the surge of fear that gripped him.

“I overheard Kenji and Hiroshi talking,” Aya said quickly, her voice trembling. “They’re planning to finish what they started. You can’t go there—it’s a trap!”

Miu’s grip tightened on Takuma’s hand. “We can’t just avoid it. If we keep running, they’ll just keep coming after us.”

Takuma nodded. “But we’re not walking into this blind.” He looked at Aya, an idea forming in his mind. “Aya, can you get a message to the teachers? Maybe Mr. Tanaka? We need someone to intervene before things get out of hand.”

Aya nodded. “I can do that. I’ll go right now.” She turned to leave but paused at the door. “Be careful. Daichi’s not the type to hold back.”

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As soon as Aya was gone, Miu turned to Takuma, determination burning in her eyes. “What’s the plan?”

“We can’t let them trap us,” Takuma said, his mind working quickly. “If we’re going to face them, we need to do it on our terms. We’ll go to the old gym, but we won’t stay out in the open. There’s a side entrance that leads to the storage rooms. If we can get inside and lock the doors, we can at least control how they come at us.”

Miu nodded, her face set with resolve. “And if we can buy enough time, Aya might get Mr. Tanaka there before things get out of hand.”

Takuma stood, wincing as his bruises protested, but the adrenaline flooding his system dulled the pain. “Let’s go.”

They left the nurse’s office together, moving quickly through the hallways as the last bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. The halls were crowded with students heading home, but Takuma and Miu weaved through them with purpose, their destination clear.

When they reached the old gym, the area was eerily quiet. The building itself was dilapidated, long since abandoned for a newer facility, and it stood at the edge of the school grounds, surrounded by trees. Takuma led Miu to the side entrance, a rusted metal door that creaked loudly as he pushed it open.

Once inside, they hurried to the storage room. It was cramped and filled with old gym equipment, the smell of dust thick in the air. Takuma quickly locked the door behind them and looked around for anything they could use to barricade it.

They piled up old mats and boxes in front of the door, creating a makeshift barrier. Miu moved to the back of the room, where there was a small, grimy window that looked out onto the woods behind the gym.

“We can escape through here if things go south,” she said, her voice hushed.

Takuma nodded, though his attention was focused on the sounds outside. He could hear the faint murmur of voices, growing louder as Daichi and his group approached. His heart pounded in his chest, every muscle in his body tense with anticipation.

The voices grew closer, and then there was a loud bang as someone pounded on the gym door. Takuma’s breath caught in his throat, his pulse racing. They were here.

“Takuma!” Daichi’s voice rang out, dripping with malice. “You can’t hide forever! Come out and face me!”

Takuma swallowed hard, his mind racing. If they stayed hidden, Daichi would probably break down the door eventually, but if they faced him head-on, they might not stand a chance. The only hope they had was to stall until Aya could get the teachers here.

“Takuma,” Miu whispered, moving closer to him. “What do we do?”

Before he could answer, the pounding on the door grew more intense, followed by the sound of splintering wood. Takuma’s heart leaped into his throat. They were running out of time.

“We stick to the plan,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Stay close to me. If things get too dangerous, we get out through the window.”

Miu nodded, her face pale but determined. “I’m with you.”

The door shuddered under another blow, and Takuma knew they had only seconds before it gave way. He grabbed a rusty pipe that had been lying on the floor, the metal cold and heavy in his hands. It wasn’t much, but it was all they had.

The door finally burst open with a crash, sending the makeshift barricade toppling over. Daichi stormed in, followed by Kenji, Hiroshi, and two other seniors. Their eyes were filled with anger, their hands clenched into fists.

“There you are,” Daichi sneered, his gaze locking onto Takuma. “Ready for round two?”

Takuma tightened his grip on the pipe, positioning himself between Miu and Daichi. “This ends now, Daichi.”

Daichi’s grin widened, but there was no humor in it. “You’re right about that.”

With a roar, Daichi lunged forward, leading the charge as his gang swarmed the room. Takuma swung the pipe, barely managing to deflect a punch aimed at his head. The room erupted into chaos, the sound of fists hitting flesh, and the crash of overturned equipment filling the air.

Takuma fought with everything he had, but he was outnumbered, and the confined space made it impossible to keep them at bay. A punch to his side sent him stumbling, pain shooting through his ribs as he tried to stay on his feet.

“Miu, get out!” Takuma shouted, but she didn’t move. Instead, she grabbed a broken piece of wood from the floor and swung it at Kenji, catching him off guard.

“Not without you!” she yelled back, her eyes blazing with determination.

Takuma’s heart swelled with pride, but he knew they couldn’t keep this up for long. They needed to get out, now.

He pushed forward, breaking through the circle of attackers and grabbing Miu’s hand. “The window, now!”

They ran for the window, Takuma shoving it open with all his strength. The cool evening air rushed in as he hoisted Miu up, helping her climb through the narrow opening.

“Hurry!” Miu urged, holding out her hand to pull him through.

Just as Takuma began to climb out, he felt a hand grab his ankle, yanking him back into the room. He crashed to the floor, Daichi looming over him, his face twisted with fury.

“You’re not going anywhere!” Daichi snarled, raising his fist.

Takuma braced for the impact, but before Daichi could strike, a loud voice echoed through