The phone rang, and Haoyu answered before the first vibration could end after seeing who it was.
"Professor?" His voice was hopeful, but it cracked.
"Hello, little one. How are…"
"Where…where are you?" he interrupted, his words tripping over each other.
"Are you hurt, Professor? Tell me where you are, I'm coming to get you right now. Find somewhere safe and I'll be there soon. Just stay on the line."
"Calm down, little one," she said, the sheer speed of his breathing audible through the speaker.
"I managed to escape. I'm already on my way back to Lagos. I'll tell you everything when we meet. Don't worry too much."
A collective wave of relief swept through the car.
"I'll see you soon," Tejumole added, her thumb hovering over the end-call button.
"Don't," Haoyu whispered, his voice stopping her. It was hoarse, pleading.
"Don't hang up. Please."
As the car swung into a U-turn to head back, Haoyu remained connected to the call. He sat in silence, staring back and forth between his phone screen and the watch with the tracker.
***
Tejumole reached the house after Haoyu. She met the four other men standing beside him and had questions about the new faces but there was no time for further interaction besides brief pleasantries.
Before this, Tejumole had called a few people at the university to let them know of her wellbeing, knowing that her kidnapping would have caused a massive stir.
When Haoyu saw her, he entered a state of shock. The blood on her body made him reel in dread.
He dragged her along into the house, moving carefully so as not to hurt her further, but after looking at her injured thigh, he simply swept her into his arms and carried her inside.
Inside the house, Haoyu set her down gently on the couch. He was stiff and wooden, his face expressionless. Now that Tejumole had returned alive he was glad, but the sight of the gunshot wounds was a fresh trauma for him. He couldn't imagine what she had been through.
Haoyu descended into a well of self-blame as his fingers brushed the space above her bandaged thigh. He did the same for her arm but didn't touch her directly. He felt that Tejumole at this moment was so fragile and would disappear at any moment. He didn't look her in the eyes. He couldn't.
Seeing Haoyu's state, Tejumole was troubled. She could tell he was saddened, perhaps frightened by her wounds, but she couldn't exactly tell him that this was nothing, that she would heal soon, or that the cultists were the ones who were truly in danger.
"I'm okay, little one. I'm alright. Can you look at me?" She tried to soothe him and turned his face to hers, holding it softly in her arms.
When his eyes stared right into hers, she was startled by the rage she saw.
"How can you say that? How can you say you're fine?!" He was shouting now, the words fuelled by a terror he could no longer contain.
"You're covered in blood and have two gunshot wounds. Any of these could have gone into your head or neck or any other fatal spot. You could have died.
You could have died..."
His voice trailed off, the fire in his eyes suddenly snuffed out by realization. The tension that had kept him upright for hours simply evaporated, leaving behind a hollow, shaking figure.
The weight of what could have happened seemed to crush his spine as his knees buckled and he slumped to the floor. His head came to rest heavily against the couch next to her, his breathing coming in slow quivers. He went completely silent.
He was angry with the wrong person, but he couldn't accept how close he'd come to losing her. A stray bullet or a different angle would have been enough to end her life. To him, she was still the same person he had met on that bridge five years ago; someone who could disappear at any second. And it frustrated him that she didn't seem to care at all. Like she wouldn't mind leaving.
Tejumole felt her heart ache at the sight of the withered Haoyu. Before she could find the words to comfort him, he sprang to his feet and moved toward his room, disappearing before she could react.
'What to do. I've never seen him like this. Ranta?'
'I'm not sure, Host.' Ranta replied.
'From his perspective, you're a normal person who just went through a traumatizing ordeal. He is just worried. Give him time.'
Seconds later, Haoyu returned with a small container. He knelt, took her leg, and began removing the bandage. He saw that the bullet was out and the first aid was good, which relieved him slightly, though he still struggled with the thought of her pain. He cleaned the wound and brought out a circular container with a reddish balm inside.
"This is something to heal your wounds. You'll be as good as new in a few days."
As he applied the balm, a warm sensation with a slight sting spread across her skin. Tejumole noticed the pain lessening almost immediately. She even thought she saw her skin actively mending together but reasoned her eyes were playing tricks on her.
She wondered what it was but now wasn't the time. Haoyu was tense and tightly worn even as he moved to sit next to her and treat her arm.
"Over the years, I've noticed you always came back with slight scratches every few days," he suddenly said, making Tejumole pause. She thought she had been discreet.
"I didn't say anything because you were never really injured, even though I was worried and curious. But… they were never like this."
After bandaging her arm, he looked at her, his eyes curved sadly.
"Even though I don't know what it is you do, I was just glad you were never hurt. I wish you hadn't suffered today, and I'll do all I can to never let it happen again. I promise." He stared at her as he swore.
"But you have to promise me to always be safe. It's me and you, remember?"
Haoyu held out his index finger. In their first year together, they had made a Pinky promise to have each other's backs. But he had been a tiny child then, and he had hated how small his Pinky looked against hers, so she had suggested they use their index fingers instead.
Tejumole looked at his much larger finger. It dawned on her that the boy she knew was now replaced by a young man with a frame larger than her own.
She hesitated.
As the Punisher, there would always be dangerous missions. She couldn't truly guarantee her safety. But looking at Haoyu's disturbed gaze, a new resolve hardened in her.
"I remember, little one. I promise to stay safe. It's me and you. Not just you or just me."
She would prioritize her survival, no longer acting as recklessly as she always did. She had someone she couldn't bear to leave alone.
Having made her promise, Haoyu relaxed and collapsed onto her shoulder. This caused Tejumole to wince and Haoyu to back away in panic. His reaction made her laugh and Haoyu soon joined her, causing the tension to ebb away.
That night, the two slept on the same bed in Tejumole's room, talking and keeping each other company just as they had done since the day they met.