Chapter 22: Bonds Forged in Battle

Reiji leaned back in his hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His body ached from the battle, bruises and cuts decorating his skin like reminders of the fight. It had been a full day since the chaos at the warehouse, and despite the pain, he was grateful to have survived. Shinya had brought him and Chuuya to the hospital, both beaten and exhausted, but alive.

The door to his room creaked open, and Reiji turned his head just in time to see the familiar face of the nurse who had taken care of him during his previous stay. She walked in, a playful grin spreading across her face.

"Well, well," the nurse said, placing her hands on her hips. "You again? It hasn't even been a week since you left, and you're already back here."

Reiji chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah… I guess I just can't stay out of trouble."

The nurse raised an eyebrow, smirking as she checked his chart. "You need to learn how to take it easy, kid. You're not invincible, you know."

Reiji laughed it off, wincing slightly from the soreness in his ribs. "I'll keep that in mind."

Satisfied with her check-up, the nurse nodded and made her way out, but not before casting a teasing glance back at Reiji. "Try not to come back too soon, okay?"

After she left, the room fell quiet again, and Reiji's gaze shifted to the other bed across from him. There lay Chuuya, bruised and battered, but awake, staring silently at the ceiling. He hadn't said much since they had arrived at the hospital. The fight had clearly taken its toll on him, not just physically, but emotionally.

Reiji sighed, remembering what Shinya had told him earlier. One of the victims of the drug had been a close friend of Chuuya's. Reiji didn't know the full details, but he could feel the weight of that loss hanging in the air. It was a silent, oppressive presence between them.

Chuuya hadn't been the same since. He stayed quiet, lost in his own thoughts, the usual fire in his eyes replaced by a heavy sadness.

Shinya, though bruised from the battle, hadn't needed to stay in the hospital. Being a long-range fighter, he had taken fewer hits and managed to avoid the worst of the injuries. He had left to make his report to the police, but not before checking in on them.

The silence between Reiji and Chuuya stretched on until, unexpectedly, Chuuya spoke, his voice low and filled with an emotion Reiji hadn't heard from him before. "If I was strong enough… do you think they'd still be alive?"

Reiji blinked, caught off guard by the question. He didn't have an answer. Slowly, he shook his head. "I don't know."

Chuuya's eyes remained on the ceiling, his face unreadable, but his voice cracked slightly as he continued. "We grew up together. They weren't just some random thugs… they were my friends. We watched each other's backs, kept each other safe. And I didn't even know… didn't see it coming."

He paused, his fists clenching under the sheets. "I thought I was strong enough to protect them. But I couldn't even see how weak they felt, how desperate they were to keep up with me. They took that drug… just to stay by my side. And now they're gone."

Reiji stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Chuuya as he listened. There was nothing he could say that would make this better, nothing that could take away the pain Chuuya was feeling. He could only listen, let the gravity manipulator vent the emotions that were clearly tearing him apart inside.

Chuuya's voice was quieter now, almost a whisper. "I'm a terrible friend. I didn't notice… I didn't even try to help them. I just kept moving forward, thinking they'd always be there."

Outside the room, leaning against the closed door, Shinya stood in silence, his cigarette barely lit as he listened to Chuuya's words. He didn't move, didn't say anything, but his sharp eyes softened as he heard the pain in Chuuya's voice. He had seen this kind of grief before—the kind that came with the weight of losing people you cared about. Shinya knew better than anyone how loss could haunt someone, and how it could break even the strongest.

Shinya took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly as he continued to listen to Chuuya's rambling, his own thoughts drifting back to the many comrades he had lost over the years.

Two days later, both Reiji and Chuuya had been discharged from the hospital. The sun hung low in the sky as they walked down a quiet street, heading toward the small cemetery where Chuuya had arranged the funeral for his fallen friends. It was a somber event, attended only by a few of the deceased's closest acquaintances.

Reiji stayed by Chuuya's side, offering silent support as the ceremony unfolded. He didn't say much—there wasn't much he could say. This was Chuuya's moment to grieve, and all Reiji could do was be there for him.

As they stood before the graves, the final words spoken, Chuuya suddenly broke the silence, his voice low and thoughtful. "It's weird, right? Us… underworld people doing a funeral."

Reiji turned to him, unsure of what to say.

Chuuya continued, a bitter smile on his lips. "But in the end, we're just people. We live, we fight, and we die… just like everyone else. We're just less lucky than the people who live above ground."

Reiji didn't respond, sensing that Chuuya wasn't looking for a reply. The gravity manipulator's gaze remained on the graves, his eyes clouded with sorrow and reflection.

After a long pause, Chuuya spoke again, this time his voice carrying a new tone, one of determination. "Hey… what about that offer?"

Reiji blinked, confused. "Offer?"

Chuuya turned to face him, his expression more serious now. "The one about me joining your organization."

Reiji's confusion deepened. He hadn't expected Chuuya to bring it up again, not after everything that had happened. "You're still thinking about that?"

Chuuya nodded, his expression hardening. "Yeah. I hate being weak. I hate failing to protect the people I care about. But fighting alongside you, and even fighting against you… it made me realize something. Maybe they took that drug because they didn't want to burden me. Maybe they thought if they were stronger, they wouldn't slow me down. And I failed them."

He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with renewed intensity. "I've been a lone wolf for too long. Maybe it's time I stop trying to carry everything on my own. Maybe it's time I join a pack."

Reiji stared at him for a long moment, taken aback by the shift in Chuuya's attitude. But then, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He nodded.

"Welcome to the famiglia."

Chuuya smirked, though the pain in his eyes hadn't fully faded. "Looks like you're my boss now, huh?"

Reiji chuckled, offering Chuuya a nod of respect. "Yeah. Guess I am."

And with that, Chuuya officially joined Reiji's quest to rebuild the Vongola famiglia, a new path forged in the fires of loss and battle.