Chapter 32: New Party Member

Voice: "Mom! Mom!"

Akemi sees a woman with white hair, pale skin, and blue eyes, lying in a bed fades into view

The woman looks at Akemi with a puzzled look then smiles widely

Akemi eyes widen then he reaches out with his right hand towards the woman

The woman slowly fades away

Akemi: "Hey...Wait"

A tear come from the woman's eye

Akemi: "HEY!"

Akemi opens his eyes slowly with blurry vision "what?" He sees a dark face over him

Akemi's Thoughts: "Who is that?" He vision clears

The figure clears and Akemi sees Kana's face

Kana stares at Akemi "Oh, you're finally awake" she smiles

Akemi looks at Kana with a blank stare

Akemi: "What are you doing?"

Kana: "Nothing really, just waiting for you to wake up" she sits down in a chair next to Akemi's bed

Akemi sits up and hold his head with his left hand "ugh, how long was I out for"

Kana looks up "Hmm" she looks back at Akemi "for about a week"

Akemi: "A week? I think I exhausted myself too much during our fight"

Kana: "Mhm mhm" she nods her head

Akemi: "speaking of which" he looks at Kana with a confused look "why are you here?"

Kana: "Oh right? I've come to tell you" she stands up "I decided to change my surname, I can't be just Kana forever"

Akemi: "Mm ok? Why did you need to tell me th-...Wait"

Kana: "Yes, I came to tell you because...From now on...My name is Kana Haruki"

Akemo stares at Kana

Akemi puts his right hand up "wait, you can't just change your name to my last name without permission"

Kana look at Akemi and they stare at each other for a moment

Awkward Silence

Kana looks away outside of the window "it has been a long time since I've had a surname"

Akemi: "Hey!"

Kana: "I have to admit, I would have lost that fight if you weren't outside of the ring"

Akemi: "helloooo!"

Kana: "So with that being said, I have decided to adopt the surname Haruki" she looks back at Akemi

Akemi's Thoughts: "This woman...she acts just like bell"

Akemi sighs "fine, do whatever you want

Kana: "It was already set in stone regardless"

Akemi: "You know something-"

The door opens

Ken, Fumiko and Haru walks unto the room

Akemi leans back and looks past Kana

Fumiko, Ken and Haru stops as they notice Akemi looking at them

Akemi: "...yo"

Fumiko runs to Akemi "When did you wake up!?"

Ken pops up behind Fumiko "are you ready to get back in action?"

Akemi: "well"

Haru walks towards Ken and Fumiko "now now you two don't bombard him with questions, I'm sure he's tired" he pulls Ken and Fumiko back "but" he pushes his glasses up "are you ok? Did you eat? Do I need to call a nurse?"

Ken: "Wait wait, you just told us not to question him so much!"

Fumiko: "Yeah, that's unfair"

Ken gets in Haru's face "now we get to ask him two more questions since you asked three"

Haru pushes Ken's face with his right hand "you're too close"

Ken: "what did you say!?"

Fumiko: "Stop it you idiots!"

A image of three people comes to Akemi's mind

Akemi chuckles "calm down will you? I'm fine, I just woke up not too long ago, because of a certain someone" he looks over at Kana

Fumiko looks to her left and sees Kana then she gasps loudly

Fumiko: "What are you doing here!?"

Kana looks at Akemi

Akemi: "You can tell them, they'll find our sooner or later"

Kana: "Hmm I suppose so"

Haru: "Oh?"

Kana: "I have decided to change my surname to...Haruki"

Haru, Ken and Fumiko: "....HARUKI!?!?"

Haru: "You're getting married!?"

Fumiko pushes Haru "W-why her" she points to Kana

Kana: "That sounds like an insult?"

Ken: "You're so sly"

Akemi puts his left hand on his head "you guys love jumping to conclusions, let me explain the situation"

Moments Later

Haru: "Hmm, well I more or less understand the situation"

Fumiko sighs in relief "so that's what it was"

Akemi: "Now that that's cleared up" he stands up

Kana: "Should you really be moving now?"

Akemi: "I'm fine" he looks at Fumiko "Fumi, let me see your phone"

Fumiko: "O-ok" she gives Akemi her phone

Ken: "Should you really be giving him your phone?"

Fumiko: "Of course, why do you say that"

Ken whispers in her ear

Fumiko face turns dark red then she reaches for her phone "Akemi wait"

Akemi looks at Fumiko phone then makes a digusted face as he sees a picture of him with ripped clothes as her wallpaper

Akemi look back at Fumiko

Fumiko eyes widen and she looks away then slightly back a Akemi

Akemi: "I'm going pretend I didn't see that" he puts the phone to go right ear

Click

Voice: "What do you want? I told you I'm busy!"

Akemi: "Oh? That's quite the mouth you have there fatty"

In The Union Office

Ming Bao stands up "M-Mr. Akemi, you're awake? When did you wake up!?"

Akemi: "not too long ago really"

Ming Bao: "Sorry I couldn't be there with the kids, I am drowning in paperwork"

Akemi: "No worries, I won't take too much of your time"

Ming Bao: "It's no problem at all, what do you need?"

Akemi: "Simple, I want you to find me a rift"

Ming Bao: "A rift you say? Do you have one in mind?"

Akemi: "C or B should be fine, whichever one"

Ming Bao looks down at his desk and picks up a piece of paper "Well a high B ranked rift request just got sent to me, you can do it easily but"

Akemi: "But?"

Ming Bao: "The requirements are 5 party members. Counting you and the kids, you have 4."

Akemi: "That so?" He looks at Kana "I have a 5th person, I'll take that request"

Ming Bao: "Really? I'll send the details to Fumiko's phone in a moment"

Akemi: "alright...Oh and ready me some new clothes please, my other ones are torn" he hangs up the phone "here" he gives the phone to Fumiko

Fumiko takes the phone

Akemi: "Hey Kana, you want to go in a rift?"

Kana: "A rift? We aren't official hunters yet"

Akemi: "I have connections"

Kana: "Is that so? What rank is it?"

Akemi: "you accepted that easily"

Kana shrugs

Akemi: "it's a higher B rank rift"

Kana smiles widely "We can't go into a dungeon of that rank by ourselves"

Akemi: "your face and words don't match" he walks past Kana and opens the door "let's go"

Haru, Fumiko and Ken: "Right!"

Kana follows Akemi

TO BE CONTINUED