HIS PRIDE ⇀ Manjiro Sano

Part 7

"I don't remember you being so willing to take punishment, Ito." Osanai laughed, placing a cigarette in between his lips.

"Again," Akira spoke, still smiling as he looked to the boy who scoffed, seeing the blood gush from the boy's nose.

"Fine... I'll put you down, punchdrunk," Osanai spoke as he walked forwards swinging his fist towards the boy. This time, Akira ever so slightly moved his head to the side, letting his fist glide past his head.

Akira quickly brought his leg up, smashing it into the other boy's knee, sending it to the ground. Osanai screamed in pain as Akira grabbed his arm and broke it against his knee.

"Anyone else wanna fuck with my friends?!" Akira shouted as the boy laid on the ground, screaming his heart out as he grasped his broken arm.

"Come on then, Mikey," Akira spoke, feeling the boy coming up next to him. Mikey nodded, looking up to the boy.

"Are you okay?" Mikey asked, bringing his fingers up and feeling the side of his cheek. Akira leaned into the touch, nodding as he looked at the boy.

Mikey began his speech as Akira stood beside him, holding his hand up to his nose as he pinched it close, trying to stop the bleeding.

As Mikey spoke, a small shiver went up Akira's back as he looked up, feeling the ground slightly shake as someone ran towards them. Osanai screamed as he charged Mikey, holding a broken bottle.

"Mikey-" Akira shouted, quickly shoving the boy to the side right as Osanai reached them, the sharp glass edges pushing into Akira's side.

The boy grunted as he felt Draken push past him, kicking the boy in the stomach and shoving Osanai back. Akira looked down as he heard Asahi and Kota rushed to his side.

"Did that fucker really stab me?" Akira panted, pulling the bottle from his side with a grunt as blood began pouring from his side.

"Shit, oh shit!" Kota nervously said as he arrived next to his best friend, kneeling down next to the boy and lifting his shirt up as police sirens rang out.

"Aki- why? Why did you step in front of me? Are you okay?" Mikey asked, walking to the front of the boy.

"I'll be fine, but you need to go," Akira said as Draken held Osanai who seethed in anger. Mikey looked up at the boy with worry embedded in his face before looking down at Kota's bloody hands.

"Go, Mikey, the cops are- oh shit that hurts." Akira seethed, touching the open cut.

"Ko, we gotta go, understand? We gotta..." Asahi breathed, bending over to pick his friend up. He felt the wind rush past him as he saw Pah hanging off of Osanai, blood now coming from his side as well.

"Ah shit, things just got worse." Asahi spoke as he hoisted Akira over his shoulder.

"Akira? Pah? What-" Mikey spoke as he looked between the two, wondering which one to chase, which one to help.

"Go, Mikey, FUCK! GO!" Akira shouted over Asahi's shoulder as he ran from the warehouse, Kota following him, leaving the gang members behind them.

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"He gonna be okay, dad?" Kota asked, biting his nails as his best friend was passed out on their couch, his father stitching up the many lacerations on his side.

"Yeah, he'll make it, though the kid was bleeding like a faucet. They got the guy who did it right? Some crazy guy?" Kota's dad asked as he leaned back, taking a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, think so. What about his nose?" Kota asked, drying his hair with a towel.

"I already set it, you sure your friend just got jumped? That's all it was?" His father asked, suspiciously looking at his son causing him to nod.

"Yeah, that's what happened... Asahi leave?" Kota asked, noticing the chair next to the unconscious boy had been empty. His father nodding, telling the boy that he'd gone home, saying that he'd be back in the morning. 

"You hear some kid got arrested today? Stabbed another kid during a fight, that doesn't happen to have anything to do with what's going on with you three, does it?" His father asked causing Kota to swallow air and look the other way.

"Nah, nah... Any news about the kid who they arrested though? Just out of curiosity?" Kota asked causing his dad to knowingly scoff and shake his head.

"Ko? That you?" Akira's weak voice asked from the couch, the boy's eyes barely open. Kota's eyes widened as he made his way to the side of his best friend, grasping his hand.

"Yeah, yeah Ki, I'm here. Are you feeling okay? Want some water?" Kota asked, looking to his dad who nodded, standing up to go get a bottle of water from the kitchen.

"Yeah, please... Jesus, your dad stitch me up?" Akira asked, looking down at his stomach as Kota nodded. 

"Mhm, the hell were you thinking? Getting yourself stabbed like that?" Kota chastized as Akira rolled his eyes, smirking up at the boy.

"You know me, always gotta be the hero." Akira joked, happy to be back in the land of the living.