Chapter 37 - Ryota NakamuraWednesday, October 18th "Screw you," I shot back without hesitation. "In a showdown, Godzil would wipe the floor with Ultraman any day. He could fight the whole damn Space Garrison and still come out on top!"

  His gre was intense, promising a battle of wills. I knew from that moment that this conversation was going to escate quickly. We were both passionate about our favorite tokusatsu heroes, but I wasn't prepared for a jab at the king of the kaiju by an Ultraman fanboy.

  My rival, fists clenched and teeth gritted, could only sputter nonsense, like I’d insulted his grandmother's cooking or something. I couldn't help but smirk, watching his face go crimson before he quickly looked away, fixating on the chalkboard as if it held all the answers.

  Ignoring the curious gnces and hushed murmurs around us, I decided to turn my attention back to the history lesson. It was dull, to say the least. By the time I was nudged awake by a constant tapping on my shoulder, the cssroom had mostly emptied—except for him.

  "Apologize," he muttered, thrusting something toward me. It was a blurry square of red and gray—his Ultraman eraser, the mastermind behind our whole debate.

  "Huh?" I feigned ignorance.

  "I-I said, apologize! Ultraman and his friends protect people from monsters like Godzil, so you better apologize!"

  His earnestness bordered on childishness, and I couldn't take him seriously. When would he grow up and join the rest of us?

  But I had a reputation to uphold.

  "Hey," I snapped, rising to my feet and grabbing his colr. "I entertained you because I wanted to be nice. But don't mistake that for weakness. Now, get out of my face."

  The fight in his eyes waned, and for a moment, I felt a pang of guilt. This kid, despite his quirks, seemed genuine. But respect trumped likability, always.

  Before I could dismiss him, something caught my eye—his sudden charge toward me!

  "AAAAAAAAAGH! ULTRA RAM!!"

  With a crash, he tackled me to the ground, my desk tumbling over in the chaos. The next moments were a blur—ughter, arms filing, like a pyful scuffle with a sibling.

  As the teachers materialized and intervened, dragging him away, his eyes remained locked on mine. "You're not off the hook yet, evildoer! There's no escape from justice! I'll be...back!"

  Stunned and amused, I couldn't help but grin. "Hah, just try it. I'll beat you down every time!" I called after him. "What's your name?"

  For the first time since our brief encounter, he smiled. "Furusawa. The next Ultra host—and the one who'll defeat you!"

  Time stagnates in hospitals. Minutes stretch into hours. Hours become weeks. It's easy to lose track of the world beyond the sterile confines of the silver-tiled floor and the lingering scent of antiseptic that clings to the air like a suffocating shroud.

  But none of that mattered. All that mattered was Akio waking up, ending this interminable waiting game, and returning to the world of the living where he belonged.

  "Still here?" a voice broke through the crack in the door, allowing a sliver of harsh hallway light to intrude upon the dimness of Akio's room.

  "Yeah," I replied tersely. "Someone's gotta be here to give him a piece of my mind when he finally wakes up."

  The nurse offered a patronizing smile, her knowing gaze piercing through my resolve. She had seen it all before, the hopeful vigil of a friend or family member refusing to leave the side of their loved one. But Akio was going to wake up—there was no question about it.

  "Well, don't overstay your welcome," she cautioned gently. "He needs his rest."

  I nodded absently as she retreated, her departure punctuated by a startled jump at something unseen beyond my line of sight. Probably just another nurse or visitor. I turned my attention back to the window, gazing out at the fading evening sky.

  I recalled the frantic phone call that had shattered my morning routine, propelling me into a mad dash to the hospital. Akio's dad was a broken man, a mere shell of his former self, when I arrived.

  And there, in the sterile silence of the hospital room, Akio y, peaceful and serene in sleep. His father had handed me a slip of paper, a note found on Akio's desk that morning.

  As I pondered its cryptic contents, a sense of foreboding crept over me. Why did Akio even leave a note? What did he know that we didn't? The answers were eluding me, leaving a deep sense of unease in my gut.

  Before I could delve any deeper, the door swung shut with a finality that sent a shiver down my spine. I turned, expecting to see another nurse or perhaps a doctor—anything but the figure that stood before me.

  My phone slipped from my fingers, cttering to the floor, forgotten in the wake of the unexpected arrival. "What the hell are you doing here?" I stammered, incredulous.

  Ignoring my question, she crossed the room with purpose, her gaze fixed on Akio's sleeping form. Dropping to her knees beside the bed, she let out a choked sob, the sound echoing in the sterile silence of the hospital room.

  For a moment, time stood still, the only sound the steady rhythm of Akio's heart monitor and Hoshino’s ragged breaths.

  As the day dragged on, it felt more and more surreal, like a twisted dream I couldn't wake up from. Why did she have to be here, of all people?

  Suppressing my thoughts, I watched her closely. She seemed different—vulnerable, even. It was unnerving, like looking at a stranger wearing Hoshino's skin.

  With a sigh, I retrieved a box of tissues from the bedside table, accompanied by the cloying scent of summer berries that filled the room. The rumbling of my empty stomach finally drew her attention, her eyes red and swollen from tears.

  "Here," I muttered, offering her the tissues. "And no, I'm not pnning on eating them. But if that fragrance gets any stronger, Akio might be getting a new roommate."

  A ugh was too much to hope for. Her gratitude was expressed in a barely audible whisper, but it was enough.

  Returning to my perch by the window, I observed her discreetly. There was something off about Hoshino tely, something weighing heavily on her. Her distant gaze was hiding a mind lost in thoughts far beyond the usual of school and gossip.

  It was clear there was more going on than met the eye, and I pnned to get to the bottom of it before anyone else got hurt.

  "Listen," I began, folding my magazine. Hoshino rose to her feet, her eyes fixed on Akio with an intensity that made my skin crawl. Were they...? No, it couldn't be.

  Clearing my throat, I tried again. "Listen. He called me st night. Told me everything."

  At my fabricated confession, her eyes widened in shock. Bingo. There was definitely something going on, and I was determined to uncover the truth.

  But then her gaze sharpened, cutting through my facade like a knife. "Told you what?" she demanded, her voice ced with suspicion.

  Damn it! I hadn't counted on her seeing through my bluff. I needed to change tactics, fast.

  "Fine!" I snapped, my frustration boiling over. "I don't know what's going on, alright? But what I do know is that my best friend was fine a few hours ago, and now he's not. And suddenly, you show up here, like some kind of guardian angel. What's your deal, Eiji?"

  Her response was swift and unexpected. With a sharp tug at my colr, she pulled me close, her eyes bzing with fury. "You don't get to call me that," she spat, her voice low and dangerous.

  I recoiled, caught off guard by her sudden aggression. "You're right," I admitted through gritted teeth, my anger simmering beneath the surface. "So why don't you enlighten me? What's your connection to Akio?"

  For a moment, she seemed poised to respond, but then she shoved me away with surprising force, her back turned.

  "Maybe if you cared more about your friend than your ego, you'd have some answers," she shot back, before storming out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  The door creaked open once more, breaking the uneasy silence that had settled over the room. I couldn't help but wonder why there seemed to be a constant stream of interruptions.

  "Can't we have a moment of peace?" I grumbled, feeling increasingly disoriented. Hoshino's words lingered in my mind like a heavy weight on my chest. Had I failed Akio as a friend? If he was struggling, why hadn't he reached out to me or the others? The questions gnawed at me, feeding my growing sense of guilt and doubt.

  Then, a sudden burst of brightness flooded the room, forcing me to shield my eyes and blink away the harsh light.

  As my vision adjusted to the fluorescent gre, I noticed a new nurse standing in the doorway, her expression a mix of sympathy and judgment. Or maybe it was just my imagination.

  "I'm sorry, dear. Visiting hours are over," she said gently, her voice breaking through the fog of my thoughts. "You can come back tomorrow to see your friend, alright?"

  By then, the fight had drained out of me completely. I felt hollow, consumed by a sense of failure and inadequacy. Had I failed to protect Akio, just like I had failed so many times before? The memories of those dark days at home came flooding back, reminding me of my own vulnerability and weakness.

  But I refused to let myself be defined by my past. I was no longer the helpless boy I once was. I had left that version of myself behind, determined to carve out a different path.

  Even if it meant facing my fears head-on, even if it meant risking everything, I would uncover the truth behind Akio's condition. I would confront whatever secrets Hoshino was hiding. I'm gonna prove that I can make a difference.

  Hear that, Kazuya?

  "I understand," I replied, finding strength in the newfound sense of purpose that surged through me. As I turned to leave, the nurse approached me, holding out a shiny object.

  "You dropped this," she said, offering me the item.

  "Oh, uh, thanks," I mumbled, taking it from her before making my way out of the hospital.

  It wasn't until I was halfway home that I realized something unsettling.

  I didn't wear pins.