If training and cleaning up the dump in the spring was tolerable, now, when the hot air burned their throats with every breath and the humidity turned every second into a battle with the desire to send everything to hell and plop down in the nearest fountain to declare a strike, both could say with confidence that this was what hell looked like.
“Hey, MiMi-san...” Tsuna barely managed to say, his voice trembling with exhaustion.
“What?”
“We're walking down the same street as yesterday. Aren't you afraid you'll have to run away again?” Tsuna asked cautiously, each word spoken with excessive effort.
“What's the point of being afraid and cautious? She's like a hellhound, she'll find you anywhere, no matter how well you hide. You could dive into the sewers or build a casino in space.” Minato replied indifferently, rummaging through the pockets of his sweatpants. From there, he pulled out two aluminum cans, presumably containing something to help him survive the heat.
Throwing one of them at Tsuna, who didn't have time to react and got hit in the head with the metal, Minato drained his can in one gulp, washing down the contents with fresh pastries filled with jam.
Even though he came home earlier than usual, his nerves from daily encounters with Amamiya and the nightmares that haunted him every day meant that he still only got three hours of sleep, which is why he looked like a walking corpse.
His only salvation was the sweets he devoured with enviable regularity. This was also the subject of his classmates' hatred, because he could eat as much as he wanted without gaining weight.
“I couldn't figure out those ampoules, my tired brain couldn't come up with anything useful. Could I get any more unlucky?” Minato wondered, while Tsuna took a small sip from the offered can.
After spilling just a couple of drops on his tongue, his eyes widened, tears streamed down his face, and sweat appeared on his forehead. It felt as if he had been fed a still-burning log. Even a liter bottle of water didn't save the situation.
“Holy fuck! MiMi-san, what kind of crap is this!?” Tsun hissed, practically spewing fire like a dragon, the hot air only intensifying the burning sensation. It was as if he was trying to extinguish the flames with a gas pump.
“Huh? What's wrong? It's delicious,” Minato asked in confusion, swallowing almost the entire bun, accidentally leaving a few drops of red jam on his cheek, making him look like a serial killer.
“Did your taste buds burn out from that?! It's like I drank the contents of a pepper spray can!”
“Well... the main ingredient is chili pepper. Spicy food helps when it's hot,” Minato said, scratching his head in confusion. “You can spit it out if you want.”
It was impossible to tell whether Minato was teasing him or getting back at him for yesterday, when he had accidentally attracted Makoto's attention. Even if Minato was being honest now, it didn't make it any easier.
“Could it get any worse?” Tsuna asked himself rhetorically, even though he knew perfectly well that every time he said that, something worse happened.
“Oh, long time no see,” someone purred contentedly from behind him. “Didn't even bother to take a new route? You're losing your touch.”
The voice, which was soft and beautiful, once again played on Minato's nerves like the rusty strings of an old guitar. Just yesterday, he thought she had come to her senses a little, but suddenly she was back to her old ways.
“Same answer, Arnie. Not today,” Minato grumbled, not wanting to look at the source of the voice, because he already knew what it was.
Barely tolerating the hated nickname, Makoto only smiled haughtily. Even though she understood that she would most likely lose, she was not going to stop trying until she won.
“Come on, do you think I'm that afraid of you? Technically, you've never won, because not a single hair has fallen from my head... Hey, why are you sighing!?” Makoto shouted indignantly, looking at her sworn rival, who was sighing desperately as he sat on his haunches.
Minato hoped with all his heart that along with the air, he would exhale his soul, that it would fly away far and long, and she wouldn't have to endure this B-grade farce.
“I held back yesterday, you know?”
“Hmm, so what? It means I'll just see your true strength and know what to expect.”
The words sounded like a challenge, as if she wasn't trembling with fear like a newborn puppy when Minato could turn her face into mush. For some reason, it irritated him and provoked him to go against her once again, knowing full well that the outcome would be the same every time. Groundhog Day, just like in his dreams.
“You've never won.”
“That's about to change,” Makoto smiled arrogantly.
Sighing again, Minato turned completely toward Amamiya, his cold eyes hiding no emotion, and the blood-red stain on his cheek, as if he had murdered someone with his bare hands, suddenly made her feel as if she had been plunged into a bath of ice.
“Do you really want to go to the other world?” Minato asked coldly, looking at her with his empty eyes that pierced her very soul.
A slight tremor ran through her whole body. On the one hand, she was excited, because this was exactly what she wanted. To fight Minato at full strength. But on the other hand, the nature of his ability was alien to her. She had no idea what to expect.
Lightning bolts that simply reduced other abilities to nothing. If he didn't hold back, what could happen? Would he fry her to a crisp? Or damage her brain, so she would never be able to use her powers again? Or would he paralyze her for life?
She couldn't predict it, which is why she felt genuine fear towards him. Even when she tried to squeeze something out of herself, not a single word left her parched lips. Even hoarse sighs were difficult.
“Ugh. Just as I thought. Forget it,” Minato muttered, as if returning to his normal state, only to feel a pat on the shoulder from Tsuna, who had decided not to interfere in the conflict.
“MiMi-san, jam. Wipe the jam off. You look like a maniac.”
Touching his cheek with the back of his hand, Minato wiped off the jam and licked it off his finger, not even suspecting that his carelessness had almost made Makoto's heart sink.
“Well, looks like no chases today. Hail to fate,” Minato almost sang, and decided to treat himself to a second bun, which he took out of his backpack and held above his head like an adventure game hero who had taken a legendary sword out of a chest, ignoring the trembling Makoto.
But then he heard shouting from behind him.
“Thief! Stop the thief!”
Turning around at the sound of the voice, Minato didn't notice a masked man rushing past him, carrying a bag in his hands. His speed was much higher than that of the average person. Most likely, it was this ability that allowed him to steal the bag.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was that the lousy thief knocked the sweet delicacy out of Minato's hands when he bumped into him at full speed. And, apparently, there would be no compensation.
“Well, that's it. Requiescat in pace,” whispered Tsuna, after praying for the repose of the unlucky thief, ignoring Makoto's questioning look.
“Heh, easy peasy. All that's left is to deliver it to the boss...”
But before he could finish his thought, the thief saw a shadow looming over him like a storm cloud. But it was too late. At full speed, Minato caught up with the criminal, grabbed him by the head, and slammed his face into the asphalt, leaving a cast of the thief's face on the road.
Catching the falling bag, Minato just grinned weakly, contemptuously stepping on the back of the unsuccessful robber.
“You bastard, do you have any idea how long I had to stand in line to buy this food of the gods? And how much did it cost?” Minato could have continued to shower the thief with curses if he hadn't looked inside the bag, where he saw a painfully familiar object. “Huh?”
“Is he often like this?” Makoto wondered.
“Only when it comes to sweets,” Tsun replied, spreading his arms.
Instead of gloating over the criminal, the two turned toward the source of the scream, where they saw a woman who looked to be under 30. Her bright red hair, the color of ripe oranges, was gathered into two bunches with unkempt strands. She wore round glasses that framed her bright eyes, which were contrasted by dark bags. Even though they were large, Minato couldn't compete with them. She was wearing a lab coat over a bright red T-shirt with a chibi dog printed on it, which didn't fit the image at all.
It was as if she had rushed to get ready for work and accidentally put on something from her child's wardrobe. Her lower body was covered by a black skirt and tights, which contrasted sharply with this woman's unusual sense of style. She also seemed to be extremely clumsy, because while trying to catch up with the thief in her high heels, she managed to fall flat on the ground several times.
“Um, are you okay?” Tsuna asked with slight concern, helping her up.
“Yes, yes. More importantly, the bag, I...”
“You mean this?” Minato asked, leaning over the woman. In one hand he held the bag, and in the other was a familiar ampoule with purple liquid, which Makoto saw and immediately held her threads at the ready.
"Um, heh-heh. Let's not go to extremes. I can explain everything. Let's all calm down and think clearly. There's no need to pin me to the asphalt," the woman muttered timidly. Her facial expressions and articulation clearly showed that she was harmless, and this weakened the defenses of everyone except Minato, given his paranoia.
“That depends on what you say in your defense,” Minato muttered without enthusiasm.
“Um, well, let's go somewhere else first. Otherwise, we'll attract unnecessary attention,” the woman tried to change the subject, but Minato's cold gaze continued to pierce her soul. “Drinks and sweets are on me.”
“Deal,” Minato replied without hesitation.
“So sweets are all you need to gain trust?” Makoto asked skeptically. If his trust could be won so easily with just sweets, then he could be lured into a trap with a trail of candy on the road. Making a note in her imaginary notebook, Makoto followed the others, still holding the thread at the ready.
The cafe was heaven on earth compared to the heat outside. It was like an oasis in the middle of a fiery hell. The fact that they would also get free food and drinks caused nothing but puppy-like excitement. Especially for Tsuna and Minato, who were just coming back from their extracurricular activities, which left them feeling like they could be wrung out like rags.
“So, where were we?” the woman asked.
“Why do you even have this junk?” Minato muttered, practically choking on the desserts he had ordered, pointing to the vial in the scientist's robe pocket.
“Ah, right. First of all, so there are no misunderstandings.” The woman reached into her pocket and pulled out an ID card that looked like a student pass. “Aranagi Shinso, a scientist from the Department of Brain Physiology and Ability Development.”
“Well, now it's all coming together,” Tsuna said lazily, drawing conclusions in his head. “Are you researching this liquid?”
“Mmm, it's quite complicated, and I'm not really allowed to talk about it, but...”
“I think these restrictions can go to hell. We've already seen how this abomination works. So we can talk about confidential information,” Makoto cut her off mid-sentence.
Scratching her head in silent helplessness, even though she understood that disclosing such information to unfamiliar students would be an idiotic idea, at the very least, there was no way out. Especially if they weren't lying about how much they knew.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“Oh, fine. But this is strictly between us,” Aranagi sighed wearily.
“So, I'll start from the beginning. As you know, all the abilities that both children and specialists use are called Special. Thanks to the so-called hidden capabilities of the human brain, with the help of certain stimulation and genetics, a person can use Special.”
“Yeah, they teach that in school,” Tsuna nodded.
"Yeah. But you probably also learned that every person has their own limit. Some are destined to be stronger than others, while others are destined to be weak. But that's not entirely true. On paper, everyone can reach the same level of power with their abilities. Like in a game, all characters have the same high ceiling in terms of leveling up.“
”In reality, some people just need more experience to level up, while the same drugs and procedures can have a much stronger effect on others. Seeing this imbalance, many give up on development and form gangs of young imbeciles. That's why they use a more or less average program to balance the students. In prestigious institutions, where the focus is on people who are willing to devote their lives to using Special, higher doses of drugs and more sophisticated methods are used, which widens the gap between the levels of power and higher." Minato added coldly, catching the surprised glances of those sitting nearby.
“Do you know about this? You wouldn't think so,” Aranagi asked in surprise.
“No, I just read about it somewhere,” Minato replied aloofly, not wanting to go into details.
“Ahem, so here's the thing. If a person reaches this limit, they have no choice but to be content with what they have. Or they can resort to black magic and inject themselves with a drug that will increase the effect of the chemicals in their body, causing a surge in strength.”
“Sounds like a legal cheat code. But, spoiler alert, no one is immune to side effects. Especially if this junk is spreading like the plague, only at a discount,” Makoto added with a hint of contempt. For someone with a rather mediocre ability, which had to be developed later, with blood and tears, such concessions and cheap tricks were just a slap in the face from those who simply gave up.
"Maybe so. But the fact remains. By interfering with the brain, you can temporarily increase the power of your ability. Or, awaken it, if you are branded as incapable."
Tsuna and Makoto were stunned, while Minato, as if in his own world, continued to stuff desserts into his mouth. It was as if he was detached from reality. Perhaps his lack of emotion played a role, preventing him from showing how he really felt about it. But his two companions were extremely concerned.
It's no secret that the gap between ordinary people and those with Special Abilities is extremely large. From time to time, this even causes protests from the incapable, who are dissatisfied with the fact that those lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in their mouths have better living conditions. Promising jobs, such as those for specialists, are largely inaccessible to those who are not naturally gifted.
But what if all those who are dissatisfied and curse their fate suddenly get the opportunity to awaken their abilities at a low cost? What if they get the opportunity to vent their discontent and arrogance on those they despised? After all, having gained superpowers, an ordinary person will certainly not rush to perform heroic deeds like a good Samaritan. And those who were humiliated and beaten for not having abilities might resort to vandalism and terrorism, believing that society should pay for their suffering. At least according to their schizophrenic moral compass.
Tsuna had no abilities until recently, and he would be a liar if he said he had not been ridiculed and beaten for wanting to be a specialist even without abilities. He could understand the pain of those like himself, although he did not share their desire to retaliate for the humiliation.
Makoto couldn't accept people who blamed fate, the world, or those around them for any failure. Especially scum who slandered those who had made every effort to become who they are now. Even though she was fourth on the list of candidates, she had achieved this only through incredible effort, improving every day.
In any case, this liquid could become a problem that could kill many people. And it would be wrong to just let things take their course.
"But there are bound to be side effects. Moreover, if any punk or hooligan can afford it, then it's cheap to produce. Which means it's made on the fly. I've already seen the consequences," Minato muttered, finally breaking the silence, recalling the incident when Kagero turned into a sand golem, unable to control his actions.
“It doesn't matter if it was made on the fly or in a lab by the best scientists of our time. No product is immune to side effects,” Aranagi replied coldly, finally demonstrating that she was not wearing her lab coat for nothing.
“Outbursts of aggression, memory lapses, disorientation, migraines, nausea, spasms,” Minato muttered, bending his fingers one by one.
"Double bingo, buddy. But it could be worse. For example, an overdose in pursuit of imaginary power could put you in a coma. Possibly fatal.“
”I suppose that this is not just an example pulled out of thin air." Tsuna asked cautiously. The very thought that someone could die from a simple inferiority complex and this liquid made his blood boil.
“Ah, don't worry. I don't know about fatalities, I haven't been told about any. But several dozen people have already been admitted to hospitals with the same symptoms. And they're all in a coma due to brain overload, CNS overload, and chemical poisoning,” Aranagi concluded indifferently, sipping her cold coffee.
“It's amazing how calmly you can talk about this. I get the thing with this idiot,” said Makoto, pointing her finger at Minato, who couldn't care less that he was being used as a bad example. “But I thought scientists were more cautious when discussing people's lives.”
"That's the cost of the profession. Cynicism and cold-bloodedness go hand in hand. Maybe I would be more emotional, but I have to conduct research not only on the living, but also on the dead. So I've gotten used to it. But that doesn't mean I don't care, I've just gotten used to everything.“ Aranagi whispered, looking out the window with undisguised melancholy.
”To hear you talk, I'm Satan incarnate," Minato said indifferently, finally finishing a couple dozen plates of sweets.
“What, isn't that true? If they cut off your hand, you'd pick it up and walk away as if nothing had happened. I still cringe when I think about how you reset your joint without making a sound,” Makoto grumbled in response, shuddering at the mere thought of yesterday.
“Kids are just too impressionable. It's normal. When you grow up, you'll react normally,” Minato said without any malice. At least, that's how he thought.
“Well, that's going to take a while,” sighed Tsuna, writing down all the information he had received in his notebook, while Makoto and Minato started another argument.
“What? Who are you calling a kid, you slacker? The problem is with you, you don't react to anything!”
“I'm just good at hiding what I feel. You're not a telepath. Although, you could attach your thread to an empty tin can and put it to my head, maybe it'll work,” Minato shrugged.
“Are you looking for a fight? Let's go outside!”
“Ah, youth,” Aranagi sighed carefree, not even noticing how Makoto, in her attempts to prove something, knocked over a glass of juice right on her.
“Damn! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to!”
“So much for Arnie,” Minato thought to himself. But, of course, if he had said that out loud, sparks would have flown. And then, perhaps, heads would have rolled.
“It's okay, everything's fine. We just need to take this off and that's it.”
Even Minato froze at these words. As a man who lived with a woman who didn't give a damn about social norms, he was used to a lot. But to so openly declare her intentions in a public place?
With a deft movement, Aranagi took off her T-shirt, under which she wasn't even wearing a bra, and only a thin robe hid her breasts from public view.
“Oh, holy shit...” Minato whispered, covering the eyes of the stunned Tsuna, whose face was frozen in shock with a bright red blush on his cheeks.
“What the hell are you doing?” Makoto hissed, putting the wet T-shirt back on Aranagi.
“What's the big deal? You don't wear wet clothes, do you?” asked the scientist, her voice full of bewilderment, as if she had been forbidden to do what everyone else around her was doing with complete impunity.
“And flashing your boobs in a cafe, sitting by the window, with two guys in front of you... Hey, you two, turn around!”
Forcibly pulling Aranagi out of her seat, Makoto led her to the bathroom, hoping to wash the T-shirt and dry it there.
“And you two, sit there and don't move. Capiche!?” she hissed like a snake, disappearing behind the door.
Left alone with Tsuna, Minato sighed and sprawled imposingly in his chair, still stunned by such behavior.
“Well, even I am speechless. Aya-nee would never allow herself to do something like that... or so it would seem.” Minato thought to himself. He had seen a lot in his life, but this was a first. “What do you think?”
“G cup, no less,” whispered Tsuna, for which he immediately received a smack.
“Get over the wonderland of hills. I'm talking about this serum.” Minato grumbled, although he couldn't really blame his shy comrade.
“I don't think we have any reason to doubt her words. Remember what Kagero said after that incident?”
“My consciousness slipped away, as if falling into an abyss and becoming someone else. Then I couldn't remember half of what happened. How could I forget something like that?” Minato reasoned without any emotion, the toothpick in his mouth swaying in time with his words.
“I think Kagero isn't in a coma yet because you hit his head against the ground. That's why it didn't work.”
“Do you think the concussion interfered with the effect of the serum?”
“I don't see any other reasons. It's the only logical explanation. And that means... wait, what does that mean?” Tsuna asked himself. At one moment, he seemed ready to give an answer, but now he was almost steaming from thinking about what had happened.
“Forget it. Let's pretend I didn't ask.”
In the women's restroom, Makoto was trying hard to wash the sticky stain off her T-shirt, cursing Minato and blaming him for what had happened.
“I wouldn't be surprised if he did it on purpose. And on a T-shirt with Pugganini on it. What a blasphemous monster!”
“Do you know that dog on the T-shirt?” Aranagi asked in surprise, leaning against one of the stalls. “I thought it was only popular with children.”
Paralyzed for a second by such an insult to her favorite character, whom she considered too childish, Makoto felt the urge to defend the honor of the ball of wool in armor, but she didn't. She didn't want to arouse suspicion that she had a couple of closets filled with merchandise featuring the cute dog... even if it was true.
“I used to be like that. Now I've grown up, of course he's childish, just coolly drawn. That's all...” Makoto looked away, whistling, trying to change the subject somehow. “But it wasn't necessary to flash your breasts.”
"You think so? I don't think I look good enough to attract men's attention. I didn't even think about it.“
”You should have! Especially since there were two pubescent boys sitting in front of you. Okay, the shaggy one, but Tsuna is much more emotional. What if he suddenly got a nosebleed?" she flared up, the very thought of such nudist tendencies made her blood boil.
“Does that blond guy really annoy you that much? I think he's a nice young man. Yes, he has his quirks, but who doesn't?”
"Annoying isn't the word. Not only does he treat me like a child, but he also constantly mocks me. He can calmly break his own arm, almost crush my face, and then act like a carefree older brother. With that attitude, he won't live long," Makoto grumbled, remembering how carelessly Minato treated his life every time they had to fight.
She couldn't understand what must be going on in a person's head to behave like that. What set of mental disorders must one have to be like him?
“Ah, you're worried about him. I see, I see. Could it be that you're in love...”
“Hell no.” Makoto interrupted her with a broad smile. Behind the seemingly good-natured smile lay a desire to kill. And, having sensibly assessed her priorities, Aranagi decided to keep her thoughts to herself, wanting to leave here safe and sound. But she still came to some conclusions for herself.
Finally leaving the restroom with a dry and clean T-shirt, the group was back together, ready to continue discussing pressing matters.
“And why is it okay for guys to flash their chests from time to time, but not women?” Aranagi muttered under her breath.
“Common sense and social norms. Not a bad combination, I recommend you adopt it.” Minato muttered, almost falling asleep from the pleasant coolness.
“Um, what are we going to do with this information? It would be best to report it to the experts, wouldn't it?” Tsuna asked, tilting his head.
"They already know. In fact, they brought me in to investigate. I told you everything to let you know that I'm not your enemy. Plus, to warn you about the danger. My advice to you is to stay out of all this and just live your life,“ Aranagi said firmly, with no trace of the inadequate nudist left.
”Forget everything and go back to normal life? As if we could do that at the snap of a finger. It's too late to put on the brakes now. If we have the power, it would be foolish and selfish not to use it to help, preferring to turn a blind eye." Makoto clearly expressed her intentions. What good are her powers and her status as fourth on the list if she does nothing to help people when she clearly can?
“Your courage is commendable, no doubt about it. I decided to get involved in all this myself, and I know more than you do. Therefore, the last thing I want is to drag you into a hell you don't even know about. So it would be better to leave it to the professionals.”
"Who, the experts? Maybe some of them will solve the case, but most of them can't see past their own noses. Besides, with the increased crime rate related to this serum, they'll have their hands full. In fact, they'll be as useless as a motorcycle to a speed specialist. It would be foolish to rely on them.“ Minato muttered casually, his indifference long since beginning to annoy Makoto.
”You know, if you don't care, just say so," Makoto said calmly, looking Minato in the eye. This time, her bright blue eyes pierced him.
“What?”
"You heard me. You're showing with your whole demeanor that you don't care about this. You just wanted to understand what was going on. And that was out of curiosity. Everyone has a reason to be here, but you were lured here with sweets like a little child. If you're so indifferent to all this, then you really would be better off forgetting about everything and returning to your little world. It will be much easier without someone who has no intention of doing anything about it."
For a moment, there was silence. Makoto herself was surprised at her boldness, but no one can take back what one said.
And it wasn't as if Minato could argue with her words. In many ways, she was right, and there was no point in arguing. It would be much easier without someone who would do something just because they were asked to. Without someone who would rather destroy themselves and drag others down with them.
He didn't care about any of that. Now that he knew that Aranagi and many others were investigating the case together with specialists, he really had no particular reason to be here and disrupt his normal life, which was already falling apart at the seams with enviable regularity. After all, that was all he wanted. To live a normal life.
Silently getting up from his chair, he left the money on the table for all the sweets he had eaten and slowly headed for the exit.
But before that, he stopped next to Makoto, not looking her in the eye.
"You're right about that. Just take one piece of advice to heart. Take offense or don't, it's up to you. No matter how strong your abilities are, no matter how determined you are and how strong your convictions are, you're still a child. And your game of playing the hero of justice will not lead to good, because in the end, while trying to save everyone from hardship and death, only you will die."
With these words, Minato left the cafe, and Tsuna ran after him, trying to reason with him and understand what had come over him. For Minato, who admitted that he had the same dream of protecting people as he did, his current words and actions contradicted everything he had heard.
“Don't you think you went a little too far?” Aranagi asked quietly, now that she was alone with Makoto.
“Your words made me think a little. He doesn't care about himself, so in trying to do something, he would just die. So it's much easier to chase him away with contempt. I doubt he would listen to me if I were polite to his feelings,” Makoto said calmly, looking at her own reflection in the cup.
“I see, the end justifies the means. In any case, it doesn't look like I can talk you out of it. In return, I'll ask only one thing. Be extremely careful. I don't want to take responsibility for your life.”
“You won't have to.” Makoto said cheerfully. “I may not be the strongest, but I'm certainly not weak.”
Getting up from the table, Makoto bowed in gratitude for the free meal and information, and ran out of the cafe, wishing Aranagi to be careful.
Finally alone, the scientist took off her glasses and stared wearily at the ceiling. Hundreds of thoughts swarmed in her head, but one in particular took root deep in her consciousness.
“I won't let them suffer. They won't repeat your fate.”
With these thoughts, Aranagi paid the bill and left the room with a clear goal in mind. To put an end to this nightmare.