Friend

Zack was the first to reach Hostel, carrying the unconscious Sally on his back. As he reached infront of Hostel, two girls, Amy and Natalie, noticed Sally and immediately rushed over, concern evident on their faces.

"Sally! Is she okay?" Amy asked, panicked as they hovered over her.

Sally stirred, slowly opening her eyes, seeing the familiar faces as she suddenly burst into tears.

"Sally, what's wrong?" Natalie asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Warren... Warren is dead!" Through her sobs, Sally cried out.

Both girls froze, their faces filled with shock and confusion. They exchanged bewildered looks, unsure of how to process what they'd just heard. Before they could say anything else, a blond haired man, Eli, appeared, drawn by the commotion. He saw the girls comforting a crying Sally and immediately grew concerned.

"What's going on here?" Eli asked as he approached, looking between Sally and the two girls.

Just then, Zack stepped forward, his face hesitant and strained. "Eli..." Zack struggled to speak, the words caught in his throat. "Warren...Warren is dead."

Eli's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" His voice was a mix of shock and anger as he grabbed Zack by the collar, shaking him slightly. "What the hell are you saying?"

"Eli!" Before Zack could respond, a voice called out from the distance. 

Eli turned toward the sound of the voice and saw Big Deal approaching. It was Jake, the one who had called out. Eli was about to speak, but something stopped him. His words caught in his throat as his gaze shifted beyond Jake to see Jerry Kwon walking toward him, a solemn expression on his face.

Eli's heart sank. His body froze, a terrible feeling settling in his gut. With each step Jerry took, Eli's dread grew. He could see it now. Jerry was carrying something, and the shape in his arms made Eli's heart drop to the bottom of his chest.

As Jerry neared, the figure in his arms became painfully clear, and Eli's worst fears were confirmed. Warren, Lifeless and Broken.

"My condolences." Jerry finally stopped in front of the now rigid, wide eyed Eli. His expression was heavy, yet blank, as he spoke only two words. 

The world seemed to collapse around Eli. The noise faded. Everything blurred. His eyes locked onto Warren's body. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. All he could do was stare at his fallen friend.

Time had passed since Warren's death, and now the day of his funeral had arrived. Eli stood in a black suit, his head bowed, his face hidden from view. His expression remained unreadable as he stood a few feet away from Warren's casket. Next to him were two people, Max and Derrick the Uncles of Hostel. The casket was covered with roses, and a framed picture of Warren rested at the center, capturing the liveliness that was now gone forever.

Nearby, Sally, Amy and Natalie sat on a bench together. One of them held Eli's daughter, who seemed unaware of the sadness that engulfed the scene. Sally's eyes, dry and hollow, reflected a deep despair. She had no more tears to shed. Warren had been the closest person to her. Her love for him was real, but now it was a void, an emptiness she couldn't fill.

They weren't alone at the funeral. Jake walked over and stood beside Eli, with Jerry at his side. Both had heard of the funeral after returning to the streets where Sinu had reunited with the others. Jake and Jerry had made it a point to come and pay their respects.

"Eli, I'm sorry for your loss, but I know you're not someone who will fall here." Jake spoke quietly, his voice solemn

Jerry nodded, his expression heavy as they both turned to leave, giving Eli space.

While the funeral continued quietly, a figure stood in the distance, observing silently. It was a middle aged man in a suit, his black hair neatly combed, glasses resting on his face, Manager Kim. His eyes focused on Warren's casket.

"Rest in peace, Warren." Manager Kim whispered to himself, his voice barely audible, but heavy with emotion.

Tom had been the one to break the news to him. The shock had hit him hard, leaving him momentarily frozen. He hadn't come to accept it at first, but when he heard Hostel was holding the funeral, he knew he had to be there.

His thoughts drifted back to the time he spent with Warren, training him, watching him grow stronger. In those moments, Manager Kim hadn't realized how much Warren had come to mean to him. He wasn't just another trainee or fighter. Somehow, Warren had become like a son to him.

Manager Kim's gaze shifted to Eli, standing just a few feet away from the casket, his back rigid, silently grieving. He felt that same bitterness welling up inside him, the sadness of losing someone he cared for deeply.

He continued to watch, his heart heavy with a mixture of pride, grief, and regret. Pride in having Warren as his disciple, grief over being unable to do anything, and regret for not spending more time with him.

Glancing at Eli's back one last time, before turning to leave, his expression was dark as his thoughts were unknown.

The funeral continued quietly. People came and went, offering their condolences. The hostel members eventually left, giving Eli some space to be alone in peace, as he was the only one left standing there.

After some time, he finally broke the silence. "This has to be just a simple bad dream." He muttered to himself, his voice shaky. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Right, Warren?" His body began to tremble as the reality of the situation hit him harder.

Suddenly, he shouted. "Say sike right now, you bastard!" The words echoed through the empty space as Eli slammed his fists onto the ground. His tears, which he had held back for so long, finally broke free, pouring down his face. "Y-you b-bastard... leaving me like this." He choked out, his sobs interrupting his words. The memories flooded back, crashing into him like a wave. Every moment they'd shared, every fight, every laugh. It all played in his mind, making the pain all the more unbearable. 

He couldn't accept it. He couldn't believe Warren was really gone. How could someone like him just die? It didn't make sense. Eli knew the truth deep down, but he didn't want to face it. He couldn't bear to accept that his friend was really gone.

His tears dripped onto the ground as his fists stayed clenched, digging into the floor until his knuckles bled. Slowly, a chilling calm began to take over, but his hands remained tightly clenched, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

"Akira Katsuzawa..." A voice filled with hatred and a guttural growl, sounded from Eli. His entire body shook with rage, his face twisted in a terrifying expression. His eyes were bloodshot, his tears now running blood red with the intensity of his emotions. That was the name Jake told him that was responsible for Warren's death.

"I'll kill you." He whispered, his voice low but filled with a deadly promise.

Somewhere far away.

"Hmm, someone seems to be talking about me." A voice sounded from the figure with a red mohawk and shaved sides. It was Akira, dressed in sporty clothes, seated in a car as someone from the Workers came to pick him up that morning.

"It must be Eli." Akira smiled indifferently. Eli was probably a bit mad at him.

"Is there something wrong, Sir?" The driver glanced at Akira through the rear view mirror, having overheard him murmur to himself.

"Nah, just wondering when we'll be arriving." Akira said, looking out the window, his chin resting on his hand.

"About ten minutes, Sir."

"Make it five." Akira replied, casting a sharp side glance at the driver through the mirror.

"Y-yes, Sir." the driver stammered, nervously pressing his foot further down on the pedal, driving faster. The glare from Akira sent a shiver down his spine.

At the Workers' main building...

"I heard about it, Eugene." Mandeok, the Workers' Vice President, said as he sat across from Eugene. "You're planning to bring in another force besides the White Tiger Job Center?"

"Yes." Eugene replied, flipping through a document. "Even though the White Tiger Center is now with the Workers, we still need more strength." He shifted his gaze to Mandeok. "The friends I discarded before, because they were hard to control, should be more willing to listen now, especially after what happened to them." A mischievous smirk appeared on his face. "It would've been a waste to just kill him, so I'm going to make a deal. I'm bringing him back. The man who always protected the sky and the heaven."

"And he should be here soon." Eugene continued, placing the document on the table and leaning back with a smile.

"But before he arrives, I want to ask you, Mandeok." Eugene's eyes grew sharp as his smile grew. "What do you think of him?"

"Strong and dangerous." Mandeok said, his expression serious. "Those are the only two words that come to mind, but as for how strong? I don't know."

"Hmm..." Eugene smiled, crossing his arms. "You're not alone. Even my brother thought the same. As much as he's interested in strong opponents, he was cautious of him." His smile widened. "But it's no surprise, after all, he was able to push back the Fighting Genius."

Suddenly, Eugene's phone vibrated.

"It seems he's here." Eugene said after glancing at his phone.

The door to the office opened as Akira walked in.

"Yo, Eugene." Akira said, taking a seat next to Mandeok and leaning back casually. "Yo, big guy." he said, raising his fist toward Mandeok, who fist bumped him in return.

"It's good to see you, Mist-" Eugene began, but Akira cut him off.

"Drop the Mister word, it makes me sound old. Just Akira is fine."

"Sure thing, Akira." Eugene replied with a smile. "But first, I've got something prepared for you." He stood up and walked over to a closet drawer, pulling out a perfectly folded black suit. He brought it over to Akira and handed it to him. "This is for you, if you'd like to wear it."

"Hmm." Akira took the suit from Eugene. "I've never worn anything classy before, but it wouldn't hurt to try." He smiled as he stood up and began changing into the suit right there, not caring about the people around him.

"Damn, I look good." Akira said, admiring himself in the mirror. "Don't you agree?"

"It fits you perfectly, Akira," Eugene nodded approvingly as he walked over. "And here's your VVIP badge." He handed Akira a small black round badge with the Workers' symbol on it.

Akira took the badge and attached it to his suit.

"So, Eugene, what's your next move?" Akira asked with a smile, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

"Well, first I'm planning to take over Host-"

"Yo, yo, yo, Eugene!"

A voice suddenly interrupted Eugene. A tall, blond haired man with glasses in a white and gold suit, burst through the door.

"Mister Goo, what are you doing?" Eugene narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed by the intrusion.

"So sorry, but after I heard the one and only Akira was here, I couldn't hold back my curiosity." Goo said with a cheerful smile, walking toward Akira. "So, you're the guy who beat that old man and killed Warren. Your face looks pretty scary." He added with a grin, extending his hand. "The name's Kim Goo, nice to meet you."

"Kinda annoying but the name's Katsuzawa Akira." Akira replied, shaking Goo's hand with a smile.

"Aw, that's rude." Goo pouted, clutching his heart as if hurt by Akira's words. "But I like you. Wanna be my secret friend?" He looked at Akira with a smile

"Already have a friend." Akira said.

"Hmm, that's a bummer." Goo sighed, but quickly perked up. "Well, that's all, Eugene. Just wanted to meet Akira before I left. Bye bye!"

With that, Goo left the room.

As he walked away, Goo looked down at his hand, which had turned pale. Akira's grip had drained the blood from his hand and he felt that Akira didn't even apply any force. "What a scary guy Eugene's recruited." Goo muttered to himself as he left.

Back in the office...

"That guy is also a VVIP?" Akira asked.

"Yes." Eugene replied.

"He's kinda strong."

"How strong exactly?" Eugene asked, curious.

"Well, excluding me from the Workers, he could probably get past all of you, until he'd stop at the old man. But..." Akira's smile widened. "If you include me, he won't get past at all."

Eugene nodded, slightly disappointed that Goo could single handedly take down the Workers, except for Tom. But hearing that Akira could stop him reassured him, and he chose to trust Akira's assessment.

"But Akira." Eugene asked, glancing at him. "You said you have a friend?"

"Hmm, curious about my friend?" Akira smiled, thinking of him. "Well, he's kinda like me."

"Like you?" Eugene frowned, surprised. If Akira was implying that someone had similar strength or tendencies, that meant this person was not to be taken lightly.

"Rather than telling you who he is, let me describe him." Akira's smile widened. "You mess with him, he'll kill you. Cross the line with him, he'll kill you. Annoy him, he'll kill you."

"So, basically, it's better to stay on his good side than his bad side." Akira said, sitting back down. "After all he's ridiculously strong." 

"Is this friend of yours in Korea?" Eugene asked, even more interested now hearing that kind of evaluation from Akira. If he could recruit this person into the Workers, it would be a major asset.

"If you're thinking about recruiting him, forget it." Akira replied, extinguishing Eugene's hopes. "It won't do you any good, and besides, he's still abroad having fun. Last time we talked and became friends was two years ago in Japan, and he's Korean by the way."

Eugene was confused. They became friends just two years ago?

"Don't worry." Akira said, noticing Eugene's expression. "We each downed a whole bottle of whiskey as a token of out friendship."

Eugene nodded, understanding. Sharing drinks to bond was a common way to form connections.

"Anyway, enough about him. What's your plan now?" Akira shifted the topic.

"Well." Eugene said. "In about a week, we'll take over Hostel by bringing Eli into the Workers."

"Eli?" Akira raised an eyebrow in surprise, but then smiled. "Are you sure you're going to be able to get this guy into the Workers?" His smile widened playfully. "After all, I did kill his friend."

"Of course, I've taken that problem into account." Eugene replied with a calculating smile. "But... I'll make sure he has no other choice but to accept."

"I kinda like your style," Akira chuckled, understanding what actions Eugene is about to take. "And I also want to meet the guy who wants to kill me so badly." He thought of Eli and grinned. "I hope he won't disappoint."