Ho Fei-yu pulled his foot back and wiped it on the floor, disgusted by the filth. Fortunately, Togō's thick baseball pants had acted as a barrier, preventing too much "fluid" from getting on his shoes.
He glanced at the red stain spreading across Togō's crotch before turning back to Akane. The Coach's screams were like music to his ears.
He knelt in front of the girl, his gaze softening into pity.
"Senpai?" he whispered.
Akane didn't move. She was lost in her own personal hell. He called out Crazy Diamond internally. It couldn't fix her mind, but he had to try something. He waved a hand in front of her face.
In her mind, Akane was a kitten abandoned in a storm, curled up and waiting for the end. She was ready to accept whatever darkness came next. But then, she felt a warmth. The biting cold was being replaced by a gentle heat.
Is someone calling me? she wondered. No... who would save me? Shoya left me. Everyone left me.
But then, a figure flashed in her mind—the youth who had saved her before.
"Senpai!" "Akane Nanao!" "Akane-senpai!"
The voice became clearer. She felt a gentle shaking. Her dull eyes regained their focus, landing on a face filled with genuine worry.
Her heart gave a violent thud. A sensation she had never felt before flooded her body.
"Ko... hai... is that you?" she whispered.
"Yes, it's me. I'm here. Everything is okay now."
When he nodded and squeezed her arm, the physical sensation confirmed it wasn't a dream. A wave of overwhelming emotion crashed over her. She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
Feeling the warmth radiating from him, Akane lunged forward and buried her face in his chest. She wailed like a child who had finally found her parents.
Ho Fei-yu was stunned. He didn't know the full story, but he assumed Togō had said something horrible. He felt his own heart ache as his shirt became soaked with her tears. He tentatively placed a hand on her trembling back.
"It's over, Akane-senpai. I took care of him. I removed his 'tools.' He'll never hurt anyone again," he said softly, stroking her hair.
She cried for ten minutes, her sobs gradually turning into quiet whimpers. As she leaned against him, her mind began to clear. She realized something profound.
To the one who leaves me, the days of yesterday cannot stay.
She wasn't a "love-brain" idiot. Shoya had chosen baseball over her. He chose to doubt her. Their fate was over. She realized now that her "love" for Shoya had actually been a form of hero worship—she admired his courage because she was too afraid of her own developing body. She had been chasing the courage she lacked through him.
But now, someone else had saved her. Someone who didn't ask for anything in return.
She smelled the strong scent of masculinity on him, and a blush crept over her pale face. She was embarrassed to look up. She was the Senpai, yet she was clinging to him like a helpless girl, getting his clothes wet with her tears. She kept her face buried, breathing in his scent.