27 Highschool Slasher 1

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

The sudden high-pitched scream erupted from the female students near the window as though something horrible happened outside.

"What the fu…" The male students gasped in shock, taken aback after peeking out of the windows.

With curiosity, Shinji and Shouichi curiously approached the windows.

"What's that?!" Shouichi exclaimed, his eyes widening as he saw the security guard lying in a pool of blood. The rain amplified the horror, making the crimson pool spread more vividly across the ground.

Not one but three men in raincoats strode toward the main building, the building he was currently in. Each step they took deliberate and menacing.

"I~I saw those three men suddenly slit the guard's throat…" The terrified classmate turned to tell her friend, voice trembling with fear.

"What do we do!? Are they heading this way!?" The thunderous gasping and wailing filled the entire classroom, tension and dread hung heavily in the air. It was almost suffocating.

"Shit!" Shouichi cursed under his breath, baring his teeth, as he quickly raced to tap on his phone, fingers trembling.

Calling Akiyama Suzuki, after a minute that felt like an eternity, she didn't pick up. Instead, Shouichi quickly snapped a photo of the dying security guard and sent the message to her. He could only hope if she read the message and came to rescue in time.

"They are entering the building now! I'm scared!" One of the female classmates murmured, her voice terrified. Like wildfire, fear soon spread to every student, loud shriek and muffled chatters reverberated throughout the room.

Exchanging the knowing glance at one another, "Misaki!" "Emi!" Shouichi and Shinji instinctively called out the names of their close juniors. They realised that the two juniors could potentially be in grave danger as their class was located on the first floor.

***

The three drenched rough-looking brutes entered through the gate. Their heavy boots thudded and echoed through the long hallway. The largest one pulled out a sharp knife from his brown trench coat. Their murderous glares swept through the school hallway, seeking for targets. Soon, the massacre began as they lunged cold knives at anyone they had seen. Some students froze in fear, some managed to break out and run. Death came knocking, nonetheless. The splatter of blood painted the walls and floors into crimson canvas. Four students were lying on the linoleum ground, badly injured in a matter of three minutes.

"WHERE THE F*CK IS SAKURAI?!" The big brute shouted in pure rage, his voice echoing like a thunderclap. It was as if he were driven by some demonic force, his eyes blazing with fury. His mouth frothed, resembling those of rabid dogs.

"WE'LL SEARCH THE SECOND FLOOR!" The scarred brute and the muscular brute spoke to the large one loudly, exchanging a nod before climbing the stairs. Their hands were dripping in crimson liquid.

"EEEEK!" A misfortune female student shrieked in terror as she saw the bloody men walking up toward her. She was trembling in fear as her gaze met their murderous eyes, her small body froze like a scared rabbit. Before she could run, she felt a piercing pain in her back followed by the warm liquid spurting out.

"HAHAHAAHAAHAHAHA" The scarred brute laughed maniacally as he stabbed the fleeing girl in the back. The girl instantly fell on face first between the steps, liquid oozing out of her wound, straining her otherwise white school shirt.

"KILL! KILL! KILL!" The muscular one kept chanting, his voice raw and rasp. The madness continued, and they didn't plan to stop until they reached their goal, Sakurai Hiroshi.

***

The petrified students on the first floor huddled inside the classroom, hastily piling tables and chairs against the door in a desperate attempt to block the intruders. The stomping footsteps and frantic screams echoed from the corridor, sending waves of terror through the room. The girls were crying uncontrollably, while some boys grabbed brooms and cleaning supplies, preparing them as weapons of self-defence.

The tall girl, Emi was hugging Misaki tightly as they both were deeply horrified by the outside noises.

"What do~do we do!?" Misaki turned to ask her tall friend, keeping her trembling voice down.

"It'll pass soon, let's keep our heads down." Emi pretended to be tough but in reality, she was scared for her life. Her fingers couldn't stop shaking.

With a sudden loud bang on the sliding door, a hulking brute peeked through the gap, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with malice. His bloodied face twisted into a wide, unsettling grin. High-pitched screams of terror filled the room as the intruder began to tear through the barricade of tables and chairs with ease. While some brave students engaged in a desperate tug of war with the brute, others stood their ground, bracing themselves for a possible fight. On the other hand, the girls huddled together in the far corner, trembling in life-threatening fear.

Bang!

The flying table crashed into the intruder's body from the side causing the large man to sway but he quickly reclaimed his balance and feet rooted the ground.

The large man reflexively turned to the source, the one hurling a table at him. "F*CK YOU! F*CKIN' BRAT!" He screamed and his hoarse voice cracked, seeing a silver-haired boy standing 5 metres apart with a taunting expression on his face.

As the brute directed his attention toward Shinji, but suddenly he noticed another hazy figure in the corner of his eyes.

"Huh?" It was too late, the black-haired boy launched himself in the air and dropped a kick at him, two feet plunged into the face with full momentum. A loud meaty thud echoed thought the hall. The impact sent the large brute slamming onto the wall of stacked tables.

"F*CK!" The murderer muttered, yet his endurance knew no limit as he entered the stage of pure adrenaline. Frantically, the brute sprung to his feet, gripping his knife tightly, and shuffling it around in an attacking pose.

"Shouichi!" Shinji bellowed as he dashed in and performed a high kick, sweeping his long leg like a whip. However, the blow met with air as the brute man ducked masterfully. Without a second to waste, the brute returned the consecutive elbow swing right on Shinji's cheek. The hit connected, the tall boy flew off, forcefully crashing into the wall on the side.

"Damn it!" Shouichi shouted, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of his friend's bloodied head. The once silver hair was now soaked in dark crimson. Shinji was no longer moving, his arms and legs flopped to the sides. Shouichi braced himself, raising his guard as the brute turned and flashed a sinister smile in his direction.

"YOUR TURN TO DIE! HEROIC BRAT!"

The large man rampaged and swung his knife chaotically, but Shouichi managed to dodge and guard his endless swings with his hands.

The boy recalled the practice he had with Ayane and Shinji at the dojo.

Applying the lessons, Shouichi first predicted the trajectory of the blade, and then he either decided to block it or fade away. It had become clear to him that the short knife was much easier to read as the effective length was relatively shorter than a katana.

However, each consecutive blow that he blocked caused his guards to become weaker and weaker over time. At the same time, each dodge depleted his stamina little by little.

"At this rate, my body will give out before the attacker." Shouichi thought as he performed a long backstep. Realising his breathing heavy and ragged, his heart pounding like thunders, he examined his attacker. The brute was contradictory to his exhausted condition as the monstrous beast appeared to be in a relentless frenzy.

"TIRED ALREADY?!" He mocked, lips creasing into a wide smile.

"Tsk! This killer is not a normal human at all, he must be on drugs or something." Shouichi's mind raced, his brown eyes darted to Shinji, still unconscious from the recent blow.

"Oh?!" The brute gasped in mock surprise as he traced Shouichi's line of sight. The man positioned in-between Shouichi and knocked-out Shinji.

Abruptly, the brute turned his back and directed his body, legging swinging forward.

"SHINJI!!!" Shouichi shouted with panic and rushed toward them. Shinji's eyes fluttered open, still dazed and confused. As the monster drew close, knife in hands as he lunged forward, Shinji's purple eyes widened in shock and his hands raised up reflexively.

Stab!

28 Highschool Slasher 2

It was a trick, after all. The sly brute made an abrupt spin on his heel, turning to lung his knife at Shouichi's stomach.

"Shouichi-senpai!" The wailing scream from his two juniors, Emi and Misaki, their horrified eyes widened, fixating on him.

Unexpectedly, Shouichi smirked deviously. "Hahaha," He chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. In one swift motion, he seized the brute's arm and hurled him to the ground. The man's large frame slammed headfirst onto the hard surface, the air knocked from his lungs.

With precise, unrelenting force, Shouichi drove a vertical punch straight into the brute's face. The impact warped the man's features, his skin and bone momentarily moulding to the shape of Shouichi's fist before snapping back with a sickening jolt.

Meanwhile, Shinji struggled to get up on his feet, but his legs gave out and he fell back onto the floor.

Shouichi approached and sat down next to his friend as they both caught their breath. Miraculously, Shouichi's stomach appeared to be intact, unwounded.

"Good thing I put some books on," Shouichi revealed, his speech shallow. He then pulled out the damaged books — the hidden protection he had tucked inside his waist and jacket sleeves. With no further use for the ragged books, he tossed them to the ground.

Emi and Misaki rushed toward the dazzling duos, crouching close. "Senpai!" They gasped, their expression filled with worries, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"It's alright, girls. We'll be fine." Shinji said as he extended his fist and bummed with Shouichi's. The tall boy put on his tough facade and his usual smugness as ever, something only a cool guy like Shinji managed to pull off with ease.

Running his fingers through his busted head, "Dang it, that bastard really knocked me out cold for a while." Shinji cursed while glaring at the man lying motionless on the floor.

When they thought that was the end of it. The shrieking scream echoed through the hallway from the upper floor followed by the shuffling noises as the second-year students hastily stumbled down the stairs. Shouichi could see the pure terror in their pale faces.

"Misaki, Emi, you two. Get out of here right now!" Shouichi quickly commanded the girls. "Go!" He shouted sternly. They nodded obediently and ran off to the exit.

"Guess… It's time for round two…" Shinji raised up on his feet, his eyes glancing forward with determination.

"Hahaha, let's end this!" Shouichi uttered confidently, standing next to him. The duo exchanged a knowing glance, it was ride together or die for them!

***

A few moments earlier, the fat teacher rushed into the faculty room in full panic, hands swinging erratically. The room was located in the old building just behind the main building.

"There's a mass~mass~mass~mass…" He stuttered hysterically.

"Osamu-sensei, take a deep breath. What happened?" Takeshi-sensei asked with a frowned face, rubbing the distressed teacher's shoulders to calm him down. The other teachers directed attention toward the fat man, straining their ears to listen to what he had to say.

"There is a knife attack happening in the main building right now!" He eventually got the words out, crystal clear this time.

Rinae-sensei anxiously sprung up to her feet, "Are you sure?!" She asked in disbelief as she walked toward to door.

"Don't go out, let~let~let~let… Let's call the police!" Osamu-sensei told her, using his massive belly to block the door.

"If that's really happening, I need to see it. Please get out of the way." Rinae-sensei hurriedly said as she pushed the fat teacher away and exited through the door.

***

"Are you guys crazy?! Get out of here right now!" The elegant math teacher, Rinae-sensei, screamed at the duo. Further behind, the school nurse, Nakamura Maria, was tending to the injured. It seemed they were trying to save as many students as possible, unfazed by the terror ahead of them.

"Sorry, Rinae-sensei." Shinji shouted, glancing at his friend. Shouichi returned a nod in anticipation. With that, the duo sprinted upstairs, not listening to a single command from the teacher.

On the second floor, the aftermath of the slaughter was a horrible sight resembling those scenes in slasher movies. Blood and bodies were scattered on the ground, nothing but crimson red.

Two brutes strutted out of the president's room, both drenched in dark red liquid. They had achieved what they were sent to do.

"Crap! We are too late." Shouichi told the silver-haired friend.

According to the syndicate, they deemed that Sakurai Hiroshi was more of a liability and evidence that needed to be eliminated. The brutal attack on the school was the means to silence him for good. Hiroshi's emergency message was simply a beacon for the reaper to come reaping, an invitation to his gruesome death.

"Sup!" Shinji taunted the perpetrators with his smirk, his tone playful and unwavering.

"Should we run?" Shouichi asked, hesitant.

"For them to stab us in the back? Didn't think so," Shinji remarked sarcastically. The enemies exchanged incredulous glances, how foolish of those brainless brats, they thought.

"Let's go!" The duo stepped in with their fists up. Bracing for the battle to come, the evil men bared their teeth in anger and gripped their weapons tight.

Those two appeared to be relatively weaker than the large one they fought earlier, Shouichi managed to fall the scarred face with just a few hooks. While Shinji performed a stepped kick on the muscular brute sending him up in the air, only to collapse into the hard floor. A loud thud reverberated as his body slammed, limps flopping lifelessly.

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"Haha, nice kicks. You learnt that from somewhere?" Shouichi spoke while his fingers brushed gently on his blood-dripping knuckles. They were busted from the impact earlier.

"Anime, of course. Hahaha," Shinji chuckled.

Soon, the muscular figure lay spasming violently on the ground, his body shaking uncontrollably as froth spilled from his mouth. Something bizarre in his motions, almost demonic.

"Eh? Is he dying?" Shouichi puzzledly turned to ask his friend.

"I dunno…" Shinji responded and frowned.

The brute sat up and stared at them eerily. There was something different in his eyes this time. The hollow gaze sent a shiver down Shouichi's spine. An unsettling familiarity gripped him — it was unmistakably the same stare as the injured man from the truck accident more than three months ago.

"Shinji… be careful… I think something is off about him." Shouichi warned his friend, raising his arms to the sides.

"AWAWAHWWAHWWAW!" The growling sound escaped his mouth. The brute went completely psychotic, limps twisting and vibrating in awkward motions as if he forgot how to get up.

Eventually, the madman managed to scramble up on his feet, and, without a warning, he lunged toward the duo at full speed.

"YAH!" Shinji swung his high kick aiming at the head. The powerful sweep connected to his neck, but somehow the brute caught Shinji's foot between his neck and shoulder, pinching Shinji in place. Shinji's body froze in bewilderment.

29 Highschool Slasher 3

"How the freak could he manage to do that!? His neck should be broken right now." Shouichi blurted, judging from the powerful impact.

The raging brute seized Shinji's foot with both hands and flung him aside. Shinji was sent airborne before crashing onto the floor, tumbling several times upon impact.

"My god…" Shouichi muttered, flabbergasted by the strength the muscular man had now. As if the brute unlocked the limiters in his body, there was nothing that could stop him. Not even the pain.

The mad brute sprinted toward Shouichi next, he tried to chaotically grab Shouichi. But the boy was quick and elusive.

"The opening!" Shouichi swung his left hook, knuckles ripped through the air and landed square in the face.

"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" The brute chuckled with a bloody smile. As it turned out, the powerful punch had no significant effect on him at all.

The man diabolically outstretched his claws and grabbed Shouichi by the neck.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" He chanted repeatedly, his tone as cold as ice. Using his weight, he pinned Shouichi to the ground, his hands tightening around the boy's throat. Straddling him, he squeezed harder, choking the life out of him. Shouichi's body jerked and twitched in agony, his face slowly turning purple.

"..." Shouichi couldn't make a sound — only strained, gurgling noises. His vision blurred, and his mind began to drift…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The thundering boom of three gunshots rang out, startling Shouichi. Soon the death grip on his throat loosened. Gasping for air, he quickly pried the man's hands away, choking and coughing in agony. Shouichi was desperately scrambling backward, his brown eyes widened as he saw the brute sprawled face-down on the ground, with crimson liquid pooling from the holes in the back of his head.

"Seito-kun!" The female police officer lowered her weapon and strode towards the boy. "Are you alright?" Suzuki asked, gripping his shoulder firmly, her tone softening.

"I'm~I'm good," Shouichi replied quickly, though his words were punctuated by coughing. His throat burned with sharp pain.

"You little rascal~!" Suzuki started, only to suddenly pause, her sharp gaze sweeping the corridor for any lingering threats. Once she was sure they were safe, she stepped in and pulled him into a tight embrace. "You always make me worry like crazy."

It felt a little strange to Shouichi that she'd hug him in a situation like this, but he was just grateful she'd arrived in time to save his dying arse.

"Didn't you get my message?" She asked.

"Oh, I must've missed it somehow~Cough! Cough!"

"Please stop trying to play the hero, Seito-kun."

"Thank you for saving me, Akiyama-san," Shouichi murmured, pulling her slender frame closer. Despite the lingering sweat and tension, Suzuki's scent, citrusy with a hint of jasmine, washed over him, bringing an unexpected sense of calm and relief.

In the background, the black-haired boy cheerfully waved at Shinji, who was being treated by Rinae-sensei. Despite suffering multiple blunt-force injuries, his handsome friend still managed to flash a bright smile.

***

Within five minutes, the school was engulfed in a chaotic frenzy as a swarm of police officers, medical staff, and media personnel arrived. The scene quickly descended into a complete mess, with flashing cameras, urgent voices, and hurried movements.

The black-haired boy was standing by the side of the Suzuki's police sedan. The medical aid was prioritised from the most critical injuries to the least one. As a result, his polehead friend was carried by the stretcher and sent to the hospital by ambulance earlier.

Shouichi was told to wait for Officer Akiyama as she volunteered to bring him to the hospital to lessen the load of the medical staff. However, it appeared to be quite a long wait because the officer was busy with the crime scene.

Shouichi had been trying to stay tough all this time but internally he was extremely terrified. His fingers couldn't stop trembling as the after-effect of the adrenaline. His entire arms, hands, and throat ached all over but he maintained his stoic demeanour.

"He is just there…" Officer Akiyama was talking to the teacher siren, Kobayashi Rinae. The cap lady seemed to point in his direction and then Rinae-sensei beelined, stomping her feet.

"Crap! I almost forgot that Shinji and I disobeyed her orders previously." Shouichi thought, bracing himself for a long and hard reprimand from the sexy teacher.

"I'm so glad you are okay." The teacher said as she wrapped her long arms around the boy into a boob embrace. It wasn't something he was expecting at all.

Although the hugging felt good, Shouichi was suffocated with her big assets. It's the 2nd time someone tried to kill him this way, he thought.

"Got anything to say for yourself, young man?" Officer Akiyama who followed behind, nagged him with her stern but somewhat cute tone. Meanwhile, Rinae-sensei let go of him. Her dark eyes glittered with tears of relief.

"Sorry, ma'am," Shouichi said to Akiyama, his voice faltering. Then he turned to the teacher, "I'm so sorry, sensei." He apologised, bowing his head as low as possible. It was a gesture of sincere apology.

"Sigh... I just don't know what to do with you," Officer Akiyama said, her voice tinged with both frustration and disappointment as she looked at Shouichi. Despite her stern expression, clearly, she cared for the boy.

"My! Is that blood on your left hand?" Rinae-sensei exclaimed in shock as she caught sight of his injured knuckles. It was the result of the powerful vertical blow he'd landed on the brute. She reached out, intending to examine it.

Shouichi quickly hid his hands behind his back, feigning innocence. "Yeah… but it's fine."

"I'll be taking this troublemaker into custody now, so don't worry about it, Kobayashi-sensei," Officer Akiyama joked out of nowhere.

Shouichi turned to her, dumbfounded. "Eh? Am I going to jail?"

"Hahaha, just kidding. I'm taking you to the hospital, kiddo." Suzuki grinned, grabbing his shoulders and giving them a reassuring squeeze.

After bidding farewell to the concerned teacher, Shouichi and Akiyama Suzuki got into the police car and drove off.

"S~Su… I mean, Akiyama-san," Shouichi stammered, almost calling her by her first name. He suddenly noticed his heart pounding and his legs trembling slightly.

"Yeah?"

"I was curious about the whole case… Were they part of a human trafficking syndicate?"

"They were," She replied nonchalantly, keeping her eyes forward.

"Was it because of the prez~uh, I mean Sakurai Hiroshi? Were they trying to take him out?"

"Very likely, but we won't be able to get anything useful out of Jinzo or his gang. Their lips are sealed tight."

"...What a letdown."

"Hey, Seito-kun. I've noticed you're still in mild shock." Suzuki reached over, gently resting a hand on his trembling thigh. "I just want you to know, you're safe with me, got it?"

Her warm smile exuded a sense of security, and Shouichi found himself fixating on the way her canine tooth glinted whenever she spoke. It was… oddly cute.

"Thank you, officer. It's just a shame that every time we meet, it's always, um, let's just call it ill-timed," Shouichi remarked, keeping their conversation going as if he didn't want it to end.

Glancing at the boy, Suzuki's lips tucked into a sly smile, "Well, if you want it to be a good time, maybe ask me out on a date?" Suzuki teased with a wink.

"Huh?"

"But you wouldn't do that, right? Fufufu~" She chuckled, cupping her mouth.

"Yes… I mean, no… I dunno." Shouichi stammered, completely caught off guard.

"Haha! I'm just messing with you. There's no way we'd go on a date," She giggled and waved dismissively. "By the way, is your girlfriend alright? I heard she stayed home today."

"Uh? I don't have a girlfriend..." Shouichi replied flatly. Then, it clicked. "Wait~oh! I forgot about Ayane."

Suzuki raised an eyebrow, shuffling closer, "Oh? You two broke up?" She probed.

"No… sigh... I'm sorry, but Ayane's been tricking you," Shouichi admitted.

"Hahaha!" Suzuki let out a cute laugh, "Ayane-chan can be a bit silly sometimes," She remarked, exchanging a brief glance with him.

***

In the hospital hallway.

Shouichi strode forward, feet clapping against the grey vinyl floor. His eyes swept through the rows of doors along the corridor. Eventually, "Aoyama Shinji" was inscribed on the nameplate outside a patient's room. The intricate design of the door itself exuded the air of an exclusive VVIP suite, reserved for the most important and prestigious clients.

As Shouichi approached, he heard a faint chuckle of a female inside. Without much thought, he knocked softly on the door a few times.

"Coming!" A muffled voice seeped through, familiarity in the tone, yet Shouichi couldn't recognise.

A few seconds later, the door creaked and swung open. His ex-girlfriend, Ishikawa Misaki, peeked out. Her twin tails cascading down elegantly.

Her smile faltered, replaced by an awkward expression. "...Hi, Shouichi-senpai." She greeted, her expression darkened as the awkwardness filled the atmosphere around them.

"Oh… You're here..." Shouichi murmured, his words trailing off.

30 Highschool Slasher 4

"Sorry, senpai. Would you like to come in?" Misaki said, forcing a smile on her face and opening the door fully, revealing Ito Emi and Aoyama Shinji in the background. That was quite a relief, Shouichi thought.

"Right. Thanks." He replied, stepping inside.

"Shouichi! My man!" Shinji waved his head energetically, lying in a large hospital bed in a spacious suite adorned with all the convenience appliances. Shouichi noticed his head was wrapped in gauze.

"Seem like you are doing well, Shinji." Shouichi remarked as he approached the bed and waved at Emi at the bedside. Misaki followed him closely behind.

It had been a few days since the tragic incident but all of them appeared to have recovered mentally and physically, "Thank goodness," Shouichi thought.

"Of course. I'm surrounded by sweet and beautiful ladies. Hehehe." Shinji jested, rubbing his nose as the mood lightened.

"Hahaha, a nice suite you got here. Shinji." Shouichi asked, sweeping his eyes around.

"It's my private room… My old man owns this place anyway." Shinji muttered, waving his hand dismissively, the tall boy was always humble when it was something to brag about.

"Woah, really?" Misaki spoke up, amazed.

"Yeah," Shinji confirmed as he casually grabbed a remote controller, turning on the TV.

"That's hella awesome!" Shouichi exclaimed, admiring his friend and the Aoyama family, their wealth truly knew no bound.

"I wonder why Shinji was rushed to the hospital right after that. As it turns out he is the owner's son, after all," Shouichi mused.

"What about you, senpai? Is your throat okay?" Misaki asked him with concern, her obsidian eyes endearingly stared at him.

"Yeah… It's fine."

"I'm glad…" Misaki replied, averting her eyes toward the large screen TV. It featured the news of the recent massacre at Seihei school, turning Kurohashi a secluded nowhere into an infamous town of the death. Two anchors appeared to be discussing over the subject, their eyes laced with terror.

With that, everyone in the room tuned in to the news attentively.

"...So right now, the school is closed right?" The male anchor asked.

"That's right, it's reported that the school is now closed indefinitely." The female anchor replied.

"So today, we'd have the special guest who could enlighten us on some information about the case." The male said.

"Welcome, Officer Akiyama Suzuki." The female announced energetically.

The video conference connected, and a young, beautiful officer appeared on the right side of the screen. Her dark eyes were full of expression, captivating in their depth, while her black, fluffy hair cascaded elegantly over her shoulders.

"Wow, Officer Akiyama is beautiful today." Shouichi thought, mesmerised by her mature beauty. Everyone in the room, grew quiet and strained their ears to listen to what she had to say.

"So, Officer Akiyama, would you please recap us on what happened?"

"Right. First of all, I can only answer the nonsensitive information that can be disclosed to the public without jeopardising the case." Suzuki reported in a confident and stern voice.

"The police had been tracking down the human trafficking syndicate that operated within our jurisdiction." She paused slightly, pondering for words.

"Just before the massacre at the school, the Kurohashi police managed to seize their base of operation and apprehend the syndicate members. However, some of them escaped the seizure. One of them was a student, who acted as a surrogate to lure new victims and funnel them into the organisation. It's later discovered that this student fled the scene and hid himself inside the school."

"That's a bastard president, Sakurai Hiroshi," Shinji commented with anger in his voice.

"The police believe this case was closely related to the school massacre as 3 perpetrators were of the same syndicate sending in to eliminate the student."

"Wow, that's quite a complex case indeed." The male anchor commented, his lips parted in astonishment.

"However, the horrifying massacre at the school seemed too extreme. What are the police's thoughts on this?" The female anchor asked.

"1 perpetrator was shot dead in the scene and the other two were later found deceased in the captivity. The police found an excessive content of highly stimulated drugs in their systems. This could explain their psychotic behaviour leading to the incident. As well as their cause of death," Suzuki explained confidently without stuttering.

"Man… They were completely crazy," Shouichi commented, wiggling his nose.

"That explained it. I kicked the muscular one pretty hard. His neck should have been broken, right?" The silver-haired friend turned to discuss with the pretty boy.

"Yeah, it's horrifying when he caught your kick with his neck." Shouichi recollected, a shiver down his spine. Meanwhile, two girls were listening to the dazzling duo in participation.

"I'm relieved that they're gone now. Scums like them should not exist." Shinji spoke, eyes glueing at the screen.

"Seito-senpai, thank you for saving us." The tall girl in a ponytail, Ito Emi, bowed her head lowly to him and Misaki followed with the same gesture of appreciation.

"That's alright," Shouichi responded with a sweet smile.

"That's what heroes do, right?" Shinji smirked and gestured double-pistol signs at him.

Misaki fidgeted with one of her twin tails, eventually she opened up, "Umm… Shouichi-senpai, I'm leaving soon." However, her lips acted as though she wanted to say more, so Shouichi anticipated for her next words as he waited patiently.

"May I have a few words with you… please." Misaki pleaded with a quick bow. Shouichi turned to look at the couple with a dumbfounded expression. None said or act, offering no comment.

Soon Shouichi steeled himself, turning to Misaki, "Yes. I don't mind that at all, Misaki-chan." He replied with a gentle smile.

***

"Shouichi-senpai… I heard that you guys came to save Emi and me on that day. Is it true?" The girl asked as they sat next to each other on the empty bench in the white hospital hallway.

"Yeah… I guess, I still care about you."

His word struck her harder than she anticipated, she swallowed before returning, "Thank you so much, Shouichi-senpai." She told him, sincerity in her tone, "I'm so glad… "

The silence and tension crept up in the air around them, neither managed to say what they wanted to say.

"Misaki…" He finally uttered his words to break the silence. His eyes lingered on the glossy hospital floor.

"Yeah?"

"How are you doing?"

"I'm just getting by," Misaki answered flatly.

"I know it must have been hard for you. I'm sorry for that." Shouichi said, remained well composed.

The girl grew quiet again, her expression darkened.

"If you don't mind me asking. How's your BDD condition?" The boy inquired further, a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Oh, you meant that when you asked initially." Misaki figured, understanding his initial question, "I went to the psychiatrist and have been taking meds ever since." She explained with her softened tone.

"That's good, Misaki-chan." Shouichi said, relieved. Disregarding their current relationship, he'd feel the need to ensure that the girl was in a good spot.

Shouichi gathered his courage and said it aloud. "I know, we are not like that anymore. But Misaki-chan, if you need anything. Just let me know, okay?" His eyes met her gaze at last.

A warm smile tucked at Misaki's lips immediately. His words somehow touched her heart, its warmth gradually washed away her aching.

"Huh? Would you mind if I hug you one last time?" The girl pleaded out of nowhere. Shouichi was taken aback by her sudden request but agreed without a second thought.

They shared a brief, heartfelt embrace. The boy could remember her sweet, floral scent, it did take him back to the good old days.

"Don't worry, senpai. I'm not suicidal anymore." Misaki reassured him before smiling sweetly at him.

"Good girl." Shouichi said and patted her on the head, letting his fingers thread her silky strands, gentle with each stroke.

"Senpai, it's your kindness that taught me how to love myself… And also, how could I throw away the life that you risked your own to save?" Misaki uttered, her words tinged with resolute. No life was ever meaningless. Understanding that at last, Misaki had gained a new perspective to combat battles to come.

As if the time stopped for a brief moment, seeing how improve in her mental condition and stability, Shouichi was brimmed with satisfaction. It led him to think that perhaps Misaki could change or already had changed for the better.

Misaki casually stood up, "I gotta go now, see you later. Shou-senpai." She bid her farewell with a wave before leaving the scene.

Shouichi stared melancholy at the empty ceiling, sitting alone in the hallway. His mind began to wonder, he hadn't been thinking as of late but to be completely honest with himself, he did miss Misaki's sweet smile ever so dearly.

"But I can't turn back time... I just miss the way I used to see the old version of her," Shouichi mused.