End to a Beginning

Mari's POV:

I drew closer and closer to the hospital, and with every step did my breath grow heavier and my chest pound greater. I wanted so badly to stop and rest, but I couldn't relax. The hospital entrance was right there. I looked at Ryuji whose head rested on my right shoulder. His eyes were droopy and his grip was much more loose than before. Time is running out, but I am going to outrun time.

I burst through the hospital doors and the bursting hospital's white lights blinded her. I was panting heavily as my eyes darted around for doctors or nurses.

"Someone...! Please help!" I shouted, nearly breathless, "This boy... He's dying!"

People and patients in the lobby room looked at me with concerned faces and whispers. A nurse with a face mask and gloves ran over to me.

"Put him on the ground, carefully" She said to me as she helped him onto the cold, hospital floor. Now that I was in a bright area, I could really see how macabre Ryuji's stab wound had gotten. It horrified me; red blood oozed from the sweater tied around Ryuji's waist and amassed a tiny pool on the floor. I clasped my hands to my mouth; I can't believe I let it get this bad. It felt like a lump was in my throat and it became even more difficult for me to breathe. 𝘞𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥? 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦?

I overheard the nurse mutter curse words to herself.

"You there!" She pointed to a reception clerk who had been gawking at the scene, "Call the doctors over and tell them to bring a bed immediately. We have a stabbed patient!"

She began the standard first aid procedures like checking if he was breathing or not. She turned and smiled briefly at me, "Is this your sweater?" I nodded, still a bit distraught by what was happening and still very exhausted. "Good job on applying pressure to the wound. That helped a bunch." the nurse said. I felt happy by this statement, at least I did something right.

"Excuse me" I felt someone tap me from behind and I whirled around, "Were you stabbed too?" The nurse worriedly pointed to the back of my hip.

"Huh? No..." I looked down and saw my hip soaked in shiny red blood. I panicked for a bit and touched my skin for any sign of a wound, but there was none. It must've been Ryuji's blood.

"Oh- This is not my blood. It's the boy's, cause I was carrying him on my back"

"Oh, I see. Is he your friend? How did you find out he was stabbed?"

"No- I just saw him on the ground... Bleeding" I panted, finally finding a place to sit and rest. I dropped my bag on the seat beside me and removed my wet face mask. It was like I was breathing new air and I let out a sigh of relief. I wiped my mouth and noticed blood smeared on my hand.

"Could I get another mask...? Please" I asked the nurse as I leaned back against the chair and closed my eyes.

I wondered what Mio and Keiji were up to right now. Did Mio successfully get away from those damn Oneiroi members? Or is he still fighting? The worst-case scenario is that he got stabbed too. That thought stopped me from being able to relax. The nurse provided me with a new, dry mask along with tissues to clean my shirt and hip. After quickly wiping herself, I got up and approached the crowd of doctors and nurses who swarmed Ryuji. They carried him onto the bed and placed an oxygen mask on his face.

"Ryu?! Shin?!" I heard a familiar voice yell from behind us. I whipped my head back to see Keiji standing at the hospital entrance with Mio on his back. Keiji's forehead had been bleeding, and Mio was bruised all over. I raised my hand towards them and urged them to come. Mio slipped off Keiji's back and they sprinted towards me. They arrived just in time to watch Ryuji being rolled away by doctors on a hospital bed. Keiji was breathing heavily and I noticed his distressed expression.

"Ryu...?" he muttered, "Hey! Ryu!"

"Don't worry, Keiji. He's in good hands now." I reassured him, placing my hand on his left shoulder, "We worked really hard to save him. We did what we could."

"That's right, Keiji. We did it!" Mio chimed in, placing his hand on Keiji's right shoulder. Keiji stood motionless for a bit, unresponsive to the two's encouragement. From the corner of my eyes, I spotted tears shimmering down from Keiji's once-sharp eyes.

"I hope so..." he croaked as he buried his face in his hands to cry. Mio started patting his back and reassuring him, while I led them to rest on some empty seats. I spotted a couple of tears escaping Mio and his black eye, but he quickly wiped them away every time as if trying to be strong for Keiji, who felt weak. I, too, was still fearful and I could feel my heart palpitate. The adrenaline has yet to subside. I was worried about Ryuji's condition and if I got him to the hospital on time. What if I didn't? Would I be responsible for his death? Despite these racing thoughts, I felt that my stress was alleviated by the fact that not only is Ryuji in the hands of doctors, but because I was not alone in feeling fear.

"What if... Ryu doesn't wake up?" Keiji wept, "It'll be my fault."

"Don't say that!" Mio asserted, "Ryuji is definitely going to wake up! It's not your fault that those damn Oneiroi members decided to play foul by stabbing him."

"Mio is right... Plus, you're not the only one who put up a fight for Ryuji. We all did" I chimed in, "Each of us carried Ryuji, and if anything, we would all carry that burden together."

"What the hell, Shin? You talk as if Ryuji is going to die and it's all our fault!" Mio snarled

"What? No- I didn't mean that! I-"

"Ryuji is a strong guy, ya know! He's got a little sis to take care of. A division to lead. He would never peace out so easily."

"Of course he wouldn't! I just wanted-"

"So don't you dare say crap like that ever again about the captain or I'll-"

"I'm scared that it'll be my fault too!" I shouted impatiently. I realized my tone, and the passing patients and workers who leered at us. I relaxed my muscles and spoke softer.

"I'm scared too... Like Keiji... Like you. It was dark outside so I couldn't really see how bad Ryuji's wound had gotten. But when I came here, in the light, I saw blood. Too much of it. It was on the floor, on the nurse's gloves-- on my shirt!" I pointed to the dark red stain of blood on my hip, "So now, I wonder... If my efforts were enough. I wonder if I could've run faster, if I could've gotten away from those Oneiroi members quicker, if I could've done better."

"Me too," Keiji murmured, "He's done so much for me... Opened up his home... Saved my pitiful ass over and over... And this is the best I can do for him?"

Mio was quiet for a bit, but then joined in, "Yeah... He gave me a chance to be in Kill Thrill, even though none of the captains wanted me in" Mio hit himself in the head and pressed his palms against the sides of his head, "Goddammit, Ryuji... Those damn Oneiroi members will pay."

I gazed at the two as they grieved. The boy I just met today meant so much to these people who have known them for months, or even years. They loved him, and they were scared to lose him. As for me, I realized that the fear I felt was not entirely for Ryuji, but mostly for myself. I took the responsibility to carry this stranger to the hospital on time. If Ryuji dies, would I feel bad because Ryuji died? Or because I let someone die? After all, I don't really know Ryuji. A part of me felt guilty for these feelings.

Suddenly, a muscular boy appeared in front of Keiji and Mio, overshadowing them with his tall physique. "You did good, Keiji, Mio," He said. He had a black wolf cut with middle-part bangs that aligned with a killer scar straight through his eye. Like most of the intimidating men I had encountered that night, he wore the same uniform as Keiji. He placed his big hand on Keiji's hair and started ruffling it.

"So stop cryin', you two. You'll get ugly."

"But... But what if he-"

"Nothing bad will happen to Ryuji, Keiji. He's a strong dude, have some faith."

Mio wiped his tears and cuffed Keiji's back, "You heard it from the boss, Keiji!" Keiji smacked Mio back and shot up from his seat. He wiped his nose and his tears on his sleeve, "Right! Thank you, Ace!" he exclaimed. Just like that, the two lit up and started smiling again. Hope glimmered in them. I felt at ease as I observed the close-knit group. Despite not knowing them, I felt that they were inherently good people who would go to great lengths for the people they love. 𝘙𝘺𝘶𝘫𝘪 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺.

A part of me felt wistful and distant from them; I'm just a small piece in a larger puzzle. Plus, I don't know Ryuji personally. Unlike these guys who are genuinely worried for Ryuji, I feel like an impostor. Another part of me wanted to have people who would fight hard for me too, and to have a group of people I can count on during challenging moments like these. The last friend group I was in barely even noticed my presence. I was an optional member who would only ever gain much attention from them if I helped them with school work. I looked down and played with my thumbs. Well, it is a school night, and I still have some homework to get done. Perhaps it's time I get going.

"Shin? Hello?!" Mio cuffed my head aggressively to grab my attention, "We've been calling your name, ya know."

"Oh- Sorry. I'm kinda tired" I laughed nervously-- I almost forgot that "Shin" was my new name.

"Whaddya mean 'tired'? I can still go for another round with one of those jerks!" Mio leapt up from his seat and started imitating a fight by punching and kicking the air.

"Prolly cause' you barley fought em'. I carried your ass tonight", Keiji snickered.

"What the hell?! I fought hard, ya know! For my captain!" Mio protested loudly.

"Well, I still have homework to do," I said.

"Homework? Who cares about that? My buddy almost died tonight, ya know!"

"School goes on no matter what kinda crap you go through the night before."

"Word. That's why I hate school"

"That's why you're going to be a high school has-been"

"What did you just say?!"

Keiji put his arm around Mio's shoulder to stop him from stomping any closer to me, "C'mon, Mio. It's true, you gotta stop skipping classes" he chuckled.

"Anyways, Shin" Keiji turned to me, "Thanks a lot. You really saved our asses, and you don't even know us" he smiled warmly.

"Yeah, thanks for the assist" Mio smirked, "And thanks to my last-minute sacrifice when we were inches away from the hospital--" The tall boss from earlier smacked Mio's head, "Your last-minute sacrifice that needed my help? Why do you think I came here late."

"Right... Thanks to the boss' sacrifice-- for finishing the Oneiroi bastards off" Mio groaned and rubbed his head.

Keiji laughed and rubbed his knuckles into the side of Mio's head, "Whaddya mean, 'finishing them off'? Ace basically took care of em' from start to finish."

"What the hell?! You callin' me weak?!"

The boss turned to me and removed a lollipop from his mouth.

"Thanks for saving my third-division captain. He's my best pal. And thanks for helping out these two idiots" he grinned slightly, "The name's Ace Masahiro. I'm the vice leader of the Kansai Kill Thrill gang."

"Oh, uhm, It's nice to meet you, Masahiro. I'm Shin" I said, putting out my hand for a handshake. Mio covered his mouth as he burst out laughing, which confused me. Yeah, maybe it's weird to offer a handshake to a gang leader. As I went to retract my hand, the leader grasped my hand and shook it. He snickered, "You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Ace." I nodded and rubbed my hand. 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘯, 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘫𝘪 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘺𝘶𝘫𝘪. 𝘐 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩!

"It means a lot to Kansai Kill Thrill-- what you did tonight," Ace continued, "What's more is that you don't even know us," he then drew closer to me and bent over to face me directly since I was shorter than him, "Why did you save him? Are you secretly with another gang? Perhaps... Oneiroi?" He had a threatening air to him now, as if he didn't trust me. Seeing him up close, I realized why he was the vice leader of such a threatening gang. His shoulders were broad, his ears had multiple piercings, and his eye scar added to his menacing image. He wasn't afraid of eye contact, he would stare right into your soul. But despite his look, his words pissed me off. I just ran a freaking mile with a whole other person dying on my back. Not to mention the numerous hotshots who tried to jump me on the way. Why the hell suffer through all that if I was with Oneiroi? I'm too tired for this.

"No. I have no affiliation with any other gang. I saved him because I had no choice" I snapped.

"No choice? Everyone has a choice in what they do or not. Why choose to go so far for some random guy? Let alone a Kill Thrill member," His face got closer to mine and he eyed me intently, as if searching for some sort of reason to punch me, "I hope I don't find out later that you're secretly working with Oneiroi or any other rival gang. I have ways of finding out who you are. What if Keiji hadn't found you? Would you have taken Ryu somewhere else?"

"What the hell? Stop grouping me with those nasty Oneiroi brutes!" I pushed him away, although he barely budged. Does he really believe that I'm some wicked person? "Listen, I was walking home from cram school, and all of a sudden I saw this bleeding boy lying on the ground! Any decent person would do something. If not, then he would die!"

"There aren't many decent people around," Keiji cut in.

Mio chimed in too, "Yeah! And not many people would help out after checking out the Kill Thrill uniform. But you did."

"Mio's right. I saw how you fought out there, Shin. It was shit, but you kept at it and protected Ryu. We don't see a lot of guys like you," Keiji patted me on the back and turned to Ace, "So loosen up, Ace. Shin ain't a bad guy." Mio agreed and placed his hand on my shoulder. I was surprised by Keiji and Mio's sudden defense, but it made me happy to see how they looked out for me. Ace slowly straightened his back, still eyeballing me, revealing just how tall he was. Suddenly, the scowl on his face disappeared and he grinned at me.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just wanted to make sure" he said, patting me on the back too. I don't know if he meant to pat me lightly, but my whole body moved forward.

"Oh... Okay," I tittered a bit embarrassed. Maybe I got worked up over nothing.

"It's just cause' he's all covered up like that, like he's up to no good," Ace said, "What's up with the mask and hat? You look like a robber."

"Oh, yeah! What's up with that, Shin?" Mio lunged at me to swipe my hat, but I quickly held onto my hat and turned my back on them.

"To protect my identity! I don't want to be related to any gangs," I grumbled, "It's for my own safety, so don't go taking away my safety!"

"Whaddya mean, 'safety'? We ain't the bad guys, Shin!" Mio snarled

"The Oneiroi members are. Mind you, the last guy that pissed off an Oneiroi member had his house burned down! Well, they won't be able to burn down my house if they don't know who I am, right?"

"Chill, Mio. Shin has a point," Keiji said, but then turned to me, "But those Oneiroi members are gone now."

I bit my lip, to be honest, I don't completely trust these guys either. They're still a part of a gang, and their vice leader just threatened me! It's clear he doesn't completely trust me, so why should I trust them? What kind of nonsense are they up to on the daily? What kind of gang activity do they even partake in?! I don't want to take any chances. But if I tell them that I don't trust them, how would they react? Mio is sure to blow a fuse, and Ace is probably going to suspect me of being with another gang again.

"Uhm, well, because I'm still on alert," I said, "A crime just occurred, I can't just relax. There may be more active Oneiroi members out there!"

"There are," Ace suddenly intervened, "The rest of Kill Thrill is fighting them right now. We're going to avenge the leader's sister."

"Oh, right. Ryuji told me a bit about that on the way here" I said

"That guy whose house got burned down-- his girlfriend is Kill Thrill's leader's sister. She didn't do nothing, those damn Oneiroi members did it just to stir up unnecessary shit!" Mio punched the wall forcefully.

"Ace, is it really okay that you're here while the crew is out there fighting?" Keiji asked

"Don't worry, Keiji. Akuma's got it covered," Ace smirked, "You know him, he's never gonna back down until he gets what he promised."

"Right! I bet Oneiroi's leader is hanging from his panties under a street light by now!" Mio cackled.

"Or gulping down Akuma's piss! Serves him right after kidnapping Sachiko!" Keiji joined in. I sort of pulled myself out of the whole conversation. Hanging from his panties? Gulping down piss? What the hell is considered funny for these guys? That being said, those Oneiroi members do deserve harsh punishment after kidnapping an innocent girl. Incidents like these are the exact reason why I'm pretending to be a boy. And, who the hell is Akuma? The devil?

"Oh, right. Shin, Akuma is our leader. He's a total badass-- he once defeated a 100-member gang all by himself! Everyone on the streets knows his name. He formed Kill Thrill a couple of years ago as a way to protect the street's weakest, and he plans on expanding," Keiji explained, "Hey, we can give you a good word. Maybe you can join us!"

"Hell, yeah! I've been looking for a new sidekick!" Mio exclaimed, only to be cuffed in the head by Keiji, "Sidekick? Don't get in over your head, Mio. I'm still your division vice captain."

Now hold on, give me a good word? I have zero intention of joining any gang, let alone Kill Thrill! In fact, I shouldn't even be here, joking around with these dangerous guys. But if I leave now, I won't be able to know if Ryuji made it! I should talk briefly and stay silent from here on out.

"No thanks. I don't want to join Kill Thrill," I said.

"Why not? I'm sure Ryu would take you under our division," Keiji commented, "And he could put in a good word for you to the big boss. They're close so you'll get in for sure."

"Nah, I don't have time for uhm, gang stuff. I'm busy with schoolwork and such, so I wouldn't be able to commit! I would just be a hassle for you guys..."

"Ryu takes AP classes but he's doing fine."

"What? He does?! Well-- anyways, I'm not responsible or organized like Ryuji so I can't. Sorry."

"Don't force Shin in. He has a choice. He don't have to join if he don't wanna" Ace said, patting me on my shoulder.

"Man, Shin! If I were you, I would totally accept this offer. It took me forever to get into Kill Thrill!" Mio remarked.

"Whether or not you become a member, Kansai Kill Thrill is in your debt," Ace then grinned at me, "If you ever need help, just let us know."

"Right! If you ever need someone to take out some trash, hit me up!" Mio declared proudly, despite being the weakest fighter here.

I nodded and tittered nervously. I guess it's a good thing that these guys are on my side. But when would I ever need such 'help'? I don't have any enemies. I should change the subject before we get more in-depth about me joining Kill Thrill.

"Hey, so we should probably wait outside Ryuji's operation room. I wanna find out right away what his condition is" I proposed. The others nodded and we headed up the stairs. I really hope Ryuji is alright. I hope we get to cook a nice dinner together for our families. Please, keep that promise.