red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xi: still do

fighting isn't anything kazua fears.

crack!

thump!

smash!

nor is it anything she enjoys.

her fighting prowess was only meant to be used to protect the people she care for, to protect those who are innocent. that was the principle she embedded in her head a long time ago.

"who are you?!"

"you're a girl, aren't you?!"

"my jaw!"

in less than seven minutes, she knocked the entire kiyomasa group unconscious.

in the middle of it, she zoned out. she let her body do the job for her without thinking much of the outcome. after all, her fists know the limit.

knock them out, but never kill.

never use violence for immoral results, that's what she always believed.

she's now surrounded by bloody bodies, the rain continuously pouring down. it stopped for no one, even when people are fighting. it was only there as another obstacle that makes it more difficult.

but then again, difficult situations aren't difficult for those who are used to them.

"i got a little carried away." she sighed. her hand comes up to rest on her chest, having a heavy feeling that goes with her friend. before they left, she saw the state he was in.

draken was stabbed, and there was a large pool of blood around his knees when she got there. she worries that they might be too late in saving him.

her tattooed friend has a habit of saying reassuring words even when things are obviously critical. kazua can't possibly take his word for it.

she needed to find out about his well-being.

zoom!

the hair stick keeping her locks together fell down the ground, hair flowing forwards because of a certain someone driving past her faster than usual.

her motorbike skidded to an abrupt stop beside her, revealing the light-haired girl she was talking to awhile ago.

"figured you'd be done in less than ten." she grinned. "go. i'll clean up for you."

"thanks, frosty." kazua took her facemask off and shoved it inside her baggy pants.

as soon as senju got off the motorbike, kazua took over and sped off towards the nearest hospital in the area. her partner watches with a light smile on her face, knowing that kazua still cares for her friends as much as she used to.

if not, she cares for them more than ever.

that is the sole reason why she chose to work with her.

"this girl even forgot her hair stick." she giggled, picking it up from the ground. "they're that important to you, huh?"

***

luckily for her, takemichi was the first face she saw when she made a beeline for the waiting room.

"how's it going?" she stands beside him, surprising the male.

"s-sada-san! you're completely drenched!" he exclaims.

"don't mind me. were there any complications on the way here?" she asks.

kazua didn't even bother asking how he knew her name. she only assumed that maybe draken or mikey told him when he saw her at the park.

"nothing, thankfully. his vitals were stable." he sighs. "unlike before."

"then, his chances are high." she lets out a relieved sigh. "that's good."

takemichi can see the relief in her dulled eyes. it was an odd expression she's showing, but it gave him hope knowing that her relationship with draken and mikey may not be as bad as he initially thought.

that, and maybe kazua can still produce genuine expressions.

"we're back with the drinks."

kazua didn't turn around like how takemichi did, knowing exactly whose voice that was. her hands unknowingly clenched, and realization began to hit her hard on the gut.

she was too careless.

too panicked at the thought of her friend dying.

can anyone blame her, though?

"eh? who's this?"

a foreign blonde girl goes to stand in front of her, eyes widening when she realized who it was. "kazua-neesan!"

kazua gave her a soft smile. "hey, emma."

"what happened to you? you're drenched." she frowns, finding her attire a little odd too. "hold on. i'll try asking for a towe—"

"this isn't a hotel, emma." kazua chuckled, holding her shoulder to stop her from going away. "it's alright. really."

"she saved us from kiyomasa's gang." takemichi told her.

well, he told everyone present.

his friends, tachibana hinata, emma, mitsuya, peh-yan, and mikey.

with kazua included, that's the total number of people present in the waiting room.

"draken-kun didn't have any complications because of her. thanks a lot, sada-san." takemichi beams at her.

"this kid is too positive and bright for his own good." she thought, side-glancing him. "well, that's good, i guess."

"were you hurt? maybe we should get a nurse to treat you too." emma says worriedly.

"no, no. i'm fine." kazua waved a tired hand. "really, i just came by to see how draken's doing. kiyo—whatever his name is—didn't lay a finger on me."

"i see."

"a-ah, it looks like it'll go well." kazua sweat dropped. "that's all i came here for, so i'll be leaving now."

"stay."

a warm hand rests on her shoulder. "at least stay until the operation is over, kaz. there's no need for you to rush, is there?" mitsuya smiles gently at her.

"kashi," kazua frowns back at him, knowing exactly what he's trying to do. "but—"

"alright! here! there's an empty seat right beside mikey!" mitsuya planted both hands on her shoulders and practically forced her to sit on the spot beside mikey.

her entire body froze.

"i really want to kill you right now, mitsuya takashi."

"i'll go tell the others outside about the operation. peh, let's go."

"r-right!"