Toshihiro lay in his hospital bed, recovering from the physical and emotional trauma of the recent altercation. His father figure, Hotaru Fujita, had tragically lost his life in the incident, leaving Toshihiro to bear the weight of that loss alone. As he rested, he knew an equally difficult moment was coming
–talking to Asuka.
His eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the white-painted room and the soft sunlight streaming through the window. Sitting quietly by his side was Asuka, her expression calm, but her eyes filled with concern.
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.
Toshihiro's voice came out hoarse, almost fragile.
"...Fine."
Asuka let out a short breath through her nose—half a chuckle, half a sigh.
"Just focus on resting and recovering, okay? We'll save the sarcasm for when you can walk."
A faint grin pulled at Toshihiro's lips, a flicker of Hotaru's influence in the way he carried himself even now.
"Nah. I'm good. Besides… your presence is enough for me to be happy."
Her cheeks flushed. She rolled her eyes to mask the softness creeping into her expression.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she muttered, though a smile betrayed her.
"Just get better."
She gently patted his arm.
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Toshihiro's gaze drifted up toward the ceiling. The smile faded.
"I still see him sometimes,"
he said quietly.
"Like he's leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, waiting to chew me out for blacking out."
Asuka leaned forward slightly, her tone softening.
"I didn't know him like you did… but from what I saw, Hotaru wasn't the kind of person to walk away from the people he cared about."
Toshihiro's voice dropped.
"He didn't. Not until someone made sure he couldn't."
A silence settled between them. Heavy. Honest.
After a long pause, Asuka spoke again.
"You're not planning anything reckless, are you?"
His eyes met hers. There was no heat in them, only something quietly burning.
"I don't know,"
he said.
"But if I do nothing, then what the hell did he die for?"
Asuka took a breath.
"Then let me help."
Toshihiro blinked.
"Help?"
"I've got my own reasons for going after the Red Dragon,"
she said, her voice suddenly colder, sharper.
"You're not the only one who lost something."
Toshihiro looked at her differently now—not just as a classmate or a companion, but as someone hiding scars of her own.
"...What do you mean?"
She turned away, placing a hand gently on the frame of his bed.
"There's a lot you don't know about me. But you will. Just… not yet."
She stood, her expression steeled.
"I'll dig into Yasuhiro's movements. You just focus on walking again."
Toshihiro managed a crooked smile.
"You sure you're not some kind of secret agent?"
Asuka smirked.
"Something like that."
She was almost out the door when he called out.
"Asuka."
She turned, one brow raised.
"Yeah?"
"...Thanks. For being here."
She held his gaze for a beat, then nodded once.
"Don't make me regret it."
The door shut behind her with a soft click. Toshihiro stared at the ceiling once more—and this time, the image of Hotaru in the doorway didn't seem so far away.
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Recap:
After surviving the Red Dragon ambush, Toshihiro recovers in the hospital, haunted by the loss of Hotaru. Asuka visits him, revealing not only concern but a hidden steel within her. She hints at a personal vendetta against the Red Dragon and offers to assist Toshihiro in exposing Yasuhiro's moves. Their bond grows deeper, and in the silence that follows, Toshihiro begins to accept that Hotaru's influence lives on—and that standing still is no longer an option.
Quote:
"The dead may be silent, but their echoes shape the steps of the living."
— Yatsuda