As the final school bell rang, the classrooms slowly filled with the sounds of chairs scraping and students chatting as they packed their bags.
Haruko carefully placed her notebooks inside her bag — the notes she had promised to deliver.
Beside her, Chika stretched her arms with a tired sigh.
"Let's go," Haruko said.
The two girls walked out of the school gates together, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the street.
They chatted casually while walking toward Asuka's house.
But as they reached the street leading to her place, they noticed someone familiar walking ahead of them.
"Mikey?" Chika said in surprise.
Manjiro Sano walked casually down the street with his usual relaxed posture, hands tucked lazily into his pockets.
Haruko blinked in confusion. "Is he… going to Asuka's house too?"
They slowed their steps slightly, watching as he stopped in front of the house and walked inside without hesitation.
Inside the house, the door slid open.
Asuka's mother looked up from the kitchen.
"Oh— it's Manjiro-kun," she said warmly, her face lighting up with a gentle smile.
She walked over and affectionately ruffled his soft blonde hair.
"Did you come to see Asuka?"
Manjiro gave his usual calm smile.
"Yeah."
Without wasting time, he quietly walked upstairs.
The room was quiet.
Asuka lay peacefully on the bed, still asleep from the medicine.
Her breathing was soft and slow, strands of hair scattered across her pillow. The faint redness on her cheeks showed that the fever hadn't completely gone away.
Manjiro stepped inside and closed the door gently behind him.
He walked over and sat down beside her bed.
For a moment, he simply looked at her.
He didn't try to wake her.
Instead, he noticed a small stack of sticky notes and a pen on the table beside her bed.
He quietly picked one up.
Leaning slightly over the table, he began writing something on it.
The room remained silent except for the soft scratching sound of the pen.
Once he finished, he placed the note neatly where she would easily see it.
Manjiro stood up and gave her one last quiet glance before walking out of the room.
Downstairs, Haruko and Chika were sitting politely at the table with Asuka's mother.
She had insisted they sit and wait.
The two girls looked slightly nervous but grateful as she served them tea.
They were still whispering quietly when Manjiro finally came downstairs.
Asuka's mother looked at him with a gentle expression.
"You're leaving already?" she asked. "Why don't you stay for some snacks?"
Manjiro gave a small, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Oka-san," he said respectfully. "I have something important to do."
Haruko and Chika froze slightly.
Oka-san…?
He said it so naturally, as if he had been saying it for years.
Asuka's mother simply smiled.
"Alright then. Take care on your way."
Manjiro nodded and stepped outside.
The door slid closed behind him.
Haruko and Chika exchanged quick glances with each other, both visibly confused.
"Did he just call her… Oka-san?" Chika whispered.
Haruko nodded slowly, just as surprised.
But neither of them asked anything.
Somehow… it felt like something they weren't supposed to question.
A few minutes later, the girls went upstairs to Asuka's room.
She was still sleeping peacefully.
Haruko carefully placed the neatly written class notes on her desk.
"Get well soon," she whispered softly.
Chika placed a small sticky note beside the notebook with a cheerful message wishing her a quick recovery.
They quietly left the room so they wouldn't wake her.
Back downstairs, Asuka's mother insisted they stay for snacks before leaving.
The girls happily accepted.
The atmosphere was warm and comforting as they ate together and talked lightly.
Soon after finishing, Haruko and Chika thanked her politely and headed back home.
As the door closed behind them, the house once again became calm and quiet.
Upstairs…
Asuka continued sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of all the people who had come to check on her that day.
Asuka continued sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of all the people who had come to check on her that day.
The quiet of the night slowly settled over the house.
Later that evening, she slowly woke up. Her eyelids fluttered open, still heavy from the lingering fever and medicine.
For a moment she simply lay there, staring at the ceiling as her mind slowly cleared.
Her body still felt weak, but the burning fever had dulled slightly.
As she shifted on the bed, something caught her eye.
A small stack of notes lay beside her.
Curious, she picked them up.
The first note was from Haruko and Chika. Their handwriting was cheerful and slightly messy.
"Once you get well, we will visit karaoke again!"
A faint smile spread across Asuka's face as she imagined the loud singing and laughter they had shared before.
She placed the note down carefully.
As she adjusted the pillow behind her, another sticky note slipped into view.
She picked it up.
"Eat well and recover fast. I want to take you somewhere with me."
The handwriting was simple but familiar.
Her smile softened.
For a brief moment, the room felt warmer.
She leaned back against the bed, staring at the note quietly before placing it beside the others.
After resting for a bit, she slowly got up from the bed and stretched lightly, testing her strength.
Her body still felt tired, but she was improving.
A few days later, her fever had gone down considerably.
The color had slowly returned to her face, and her energy was beginning to come back.
Downstairs, Keisuke was preparing to leave the house for a meeting with Toman.
As he stepped outside, he noticed a small group standing near the gate.
Senju.
Inupi.
And two unfamiliar faces.
Keisuke's brows furrowed slightly as he studied them.
Senju stepped forward casually.
"Is Asuka up right now?" she asked.
Keisuke nodded slowly.
His sharp gaze moved toward the two unfamiliar figures — Taiju and Hanma.
A hint of suspicion crossed his face.
"Is Asuka really with the right company…?" he thought silently.
But he didn't say anything.
Without another word, he walked past them and continued on his way.
Once he left, the group entered the house.
Inside, Senju and Inupi politely greeted Asuka's mother.
"Hello, Oka-san," Senju said with a bright smile.
Asuka's mother returned the greeting warmly.
The four of them then headed upstairs.
Inside her room, Asuka sat on her bed with the notes Haruko had given her spread out in front of her.
She was quietly reviewing the lessons she had missed.
Just as she turned a page—
The door slid open.
Taiju leaned against the doorway with a mischievous grin.
"So our leader studies too?"
Asuka looked up.
A smirk instantly appeared on her lips.
"Well, of course," she replied confidently. "How do you think I'm so intelligent? Studying is important, you know."
The four of them slowly looked up at the ceiling, clearly disagreeing with her claim.
Asuka burst out laughing at their reactions.
Senju shook her head with a small smile before stepping closer.
"So how are you feeling now?" she asked.
Asuka leaned back slightly and stretched her arms.
"Absolutely amazing," she declared dramatically.
Inupi and Hanma stepped forward.
"We brought some snacks to share with you," Inupi said gently.
Hanma casually held up the bag of snacks with a lazy grin.
Asuka's eyes brightened instantly.
"Well, now I feel even better."
She moved some of the books aside and patted the empty space around her bed.
"Come on, sit."
The four of them settled around her.
Soon the room filled with laughter, teasing, and the sounds of snack packets opening.
Taiju argued loudly with Senju about something ridiculous.
Hanma kept making sarcastic comments that made Asuka laugh.
Inupi simply watched them with a quiet smile.
For a while, it felt less like a gang meeting…
…and more like a group of friends simply enjoying each other's company.
Eventually, the snacks were finished.
The group slowly stood up to leave.
As they reached the door, Inupi suddenly stopped.
He turned back to look at Asuka.
His expression was more serious now.
"Asuka-chan… are you still sure about the fight?"
The room fell slightly quiet.
Asuka looked at him.
Then she smiled.
A bright, confident smile that held no hesitation.
"Obviously."