Now see, Fuutarou could easily just say it's weird. He has the vocabulary and bluntness to dismiss it with one word and walk away. He could, but he wouldn't.
From the teachings of his father, Fuutarou would only call something weird when it's something empty and pointless. It was obvious that Miku has put in tons of effort to her love for history. And from years of personal experience, effort is the one currency he never devalues.
He was always merciless with fake interests. But Miku reads history books for fun, possibly watching lectures on her own time, remembers details, and connects events. That's real work, and he would recognize it instantly because his life runs on it.
And also from Fuutarou's own experiences, he knows what it's like to be judged for being 'odd'. A kid obsessed with grades like him isn't exactly a social butterfly. He learned early that society labels focus as weird when it doesn't look flashy.
So no, he won't make fun of her.
"No, I don't think so." Fuutarou quickly replied to Miku's statement. "Have faith in what you like, Miku. If you're going to care about something, stand by it. That's what I would do. But here's the thing Miku..." He smirked at her.
"You're not the only one who likes Japanese warlords." Miku widened her eyes in surprise.
"Really? You like them too?" She asked him, stars in her eyes. Fuutarou smirked.
"Of course. I study a lot of stuff in my free time. I especially like Uesugi Kagekatsu... for obvious reasons..." He replied. He didn't expect Miku to start approaching him, a new aura around her.
"Then did you know that—" She heard the bell ringing, signifying that it was time for class.
"Mmmm...." Miku pouted. She was just about to test Fuutarou's knowledge, to see if he was really knowledgeable in the topic or just saying it to get her hopes up.
'That.... is so cute....' Fuutarou thought to himself as Miku kept pouting. An idea appeared in his head.
"You know, I really enjoyed our chat but I wished we could've talked longer. Have you ever played Shiritori?" He asked her. Shiritori is a popular Japanese word chain game where players say a word that starts with the last sound of the previous word.
" Yes, why do you ask?"
"How about we find time to play it, but instead of everyday phrases we use the names of Japanese Warlords?" Miku blinked, that sounded like a good idea to her. And it would be her chance to test his knowledge.
"Sure, but when can we play?" Fuutarou hummed.
"Well, after I'm done with some errands after school, I'm going on a jog this evening. Would you like to join me then? We can play as much as we want, that's if you're okay with hanging out with me one on one."
"J-j-j-jog?!" Miku almost fainted hearing the word. The one thing she hated most in the world was physical exercise. She'd always skip physics education classes everytime, giving the excuse that she wasn't feeling well, then sitting on the side reading whatever novel she brought to school that day. Due to that, out of all the quints she is the weakest in terms of physical ability.
"Yeah, a jog. Won't be long and we can play Shiritori while we're at it." He raised an eyebrow at her worried expression.
"Don't tell me you're scared of a little jog, Miku. Or, are you scared that I'll beat you at what you're good at?" He teased, chuckling as Miku pouted once again, her eyes narrowing at him for daring to underestimate her.
If she wasn't motivated then, she sure was now. Fuutarou sure had the guts to challenge her at her own game. 'It's fine, he'll regret it soon.' Miku mused before she looked at Fuutarou, a rare flow of confidence in her.
"So you're going to play that game, Fuutarou? Fine, it's on. Don't cry after I wreck you." Miku huffed before walking away. Fuutarou could only look at her from where he stood, the distance growing between them with each step Miku took.
Miku smiled. She didn't know why. But she felt lighter, like a burden being lifted off her shoulders. She noticed that she felt more comfortable with Fuutarou after revealing her hobby, the small tension they had was gone.
Maybe telling someone about her hobby wasn't that bad after all.
...
"Good afternoon ma'am."
" Yes, how may I help you...." The hospital receptionist's voice slowly died down as she saw three people standing in front of her, wearing all black. It was Fuutarou, Mikey and Draken together, staring at her with unreadable expressions.
The receptionist didn't recognize them, but the ominous aura they had wasn't a good sign. "Good afternoon, miss. We would like to visit a certain female patient please. She is an innocent girl that was unfortunately involved in the crossfire between two gangs, I'm sure you know who I'm talking about..." Fuutarou explained. The receptionist gulped, staring into his piercing gold eyes.
She knew who he was talking about. The recent patient, it was one of the most horrific cases the hospital had seen. As a woman herself, it made her fearful of walking on the streets of Tokyo, knowing there were monsters taking human form around her, always ready to pounce.
"Don't worry, we're not here to cause trouble. That girl and her parents didn't deserve this..." Fuutarou then took out a cheque from his pocket and slid it to her. .
The receptionist blinked as she received it. She checked the cheque, looked back at the men in front of her, and checked the cheque again. Her training says ask questions. Her survival instincts say don't.
"It'll cover everything." He said, calm and polite. "Past bills and future ones." He paused before continuing.
"And the patient will be transferred to the University of Tokyo Hospital. Confirm it with the director of your hospital, I'm sure he's already received our message. Now, where is she?"
The receptionist shakily pointed at the elevator. "Th-the ICU ward is on the fifth floor..." Mikey smiled at her as they walked past the desk.
"Thanks, miss." As they walked, Fuutarou felt a little nostalgic. He remembered visiting his late mother here. The first was when she was about to give birth to Raiha. It was the first time he stayed overnight at the hospital together with his father.
The second time.... Fuutarou shook his head as memories returned. He had been so happy when Raiha was born. They were happy for a couple of years, until his mother was suddenly bedridden again.
"Dad, why is mom staying at the hospital again? Are we getting another sibling? But I don't see her big belly though..." A young, innocent Fuutarou asked Isanari who was carrying a toddler Raiha, the girl cooing at her father. Isanari had extremely obvious dark circles, consequences of several sleepless nights.
"Mom... Mom is just tired, son..." His father whispered vaguely. Fuutarou didn't understand at the time, thinking her mother was tired like his father said. He thought she would get better. She did, for a while, until it suddenly went downhill.
He never saw his mother again that week... She had passed, right in front of him. Her hands, one holding Fuutarou's and the other Isanari's, had loosened its grip as her heart flatlined. The nurses had turned the alarm off the heartbeat monitor before this moment. It was too late, there was no saving someone from cancer, one so incurable that Tokyo's brightest doctors can't even begin to fathom it.
Fuutarou sighed as his mind returned to the present. It wasn't as if his father didn't try saving her. He did, the man did everything he possibly could. That was the reason they were in debt in the first place. To save his wife, he sacrificed everything. But in the end, he lost everything.
Fuutarou remembered his father almost drinking himself to death, wallowing in sorrow. She was the love of his life after all. His father told him that he had actually contemplated suicide, until Shinichiro, and apparently Maruo, the quints' dad, literally slapped the shit out of him when he omitted the idea to them at a bar. Their scolding made him sober quick.
Fuutarou sighed, exiting the elevator with his friends. They found the girl quickly, recognizing the name written in a piece of paper on the door. They stood in front of a wide window that allowed them to peer in.
"I'm so going to smash Osanai's face in..." Mikey muttered, clenching his fist, already imagining what he would do when the time comes.
"Mikey, this is Pah's fight remember? Let the man enact his revenge for his friend." Draken muttered.
"Technically you did take revenge on Osanai, Mikey." Fuutarou commented as he looked at his co-leader. "Osanai and the people who did this, they won't see the light of day ever again. They'll live their entire lives behind prison bars, eating cold prison food, regretting everything they've ever done."
He continued. "Taking away the power they used to abuse, making them worthless is much worse than beating them up, don't you agree?" Mikey looked back at the girl in the patient room. He smirked a little.
"I think I'll show my face after the verdict is delivered to that bastard, just to rub it in. He'll probably crash out just from the sight of me." Fuutarou and Draken snorted a little. Classic Mikey.
" What the hell are you doing here?!! "
The trio turned to see the girl's parents walking towards them. The father was glaring at them with pure hatred while the mother was getting in his way, trying to defuse the situation before her husband tried something stupid.
"How dare you waltz in here after putting my daughter in the ICU?!!! Scumbags!!! Get out!!! GET OUT!!!!! " Fuutarou looked into the eyes of the man. The man was a little taken aback by his gaze. It looked reassuring, but it also looked like it could kill you with one glare.
" Sir, do not place us in the same group with those vermin. We are nothing like them. " Fuutarou replied seriously. The father gritted his teeth while glaring at the three of them, preparing another round of shouting.
Fuutarou and Draken bowed. Mikey looked at the two, taken aback. "Oi. Why are you bowing to them—
" Be quiet Mikey. It's for your own good..." Fuutarou muttered before pushing Mikey down, forcing him to bow with them.
"You think bowing is going to solve this?!! You think she's going to be better when you bow to me?!!! You bunch of gangsters are a stain on society!!! My daughter almost died thanks to those people in your world!!!!" The father's shouts, ones full of pain, could be heard all across the ICU ward. The nurses rushed by to diffuse the situation.
" We're very sorry about what happened to her, sir. We, the Tokyo Manji Gang, will take full responsibility for what happened to her. I swear to yo that the ones responsible will be swiftly dealt with." Fuutarou declared. There was a long silence that followed.
The man gritted his teeth before he looked at his daughter lying motionless in the room. Her body was attached with a bunch of life support, her mouth and nose covered with an oxygen mask. The trio who were still bowing, could hear sobs coming from the man.
" My daughter's been in a coma for almost a week... Why? God why? My sweet little girl has been disfigured....Why her? What did she do to deserve this?..." The father sobbed, his wife joining, her cries were even worse and heartbreak.
He looked at Fuutarou who was still bowing at him. "If you're a part of that stupid gang..... I... I sound stupid saying this... But I hear good things about your gang.... I beg of you..... Please avenge my sweet little girl....."
" We will deal with that, sir. You do not have to worry. Once again, we're very sorry about what happened." Draken replied immediately. Before the trio got up in unison before walking away as a nurse ran past them, holding a clipboard.
"Sir! Sir!" She called out to the middle aged man before she started filling in the parents about the changes. The settled payment, the transfer, everything was laid out to them as the trio walked away.
"Wh-what...." The father muttered, in shock after receiving possibly the best news of his life. He looked at the three men in all black clothing, a line of backs receding in sync, as a team of doctors and nurses rushed past them and into the girl's patient room, preparing to take her to the ambulance which will then bring her to the new hospital.
The father dropped to his knees, now crying tears of joy. His emotional wife knelt beside him, shaking all the while. He kept staring at three men who strangely looked more like teenagers than anything.
The men had stepped in the elevator, with Fuutarou glancing back at him a little, a warm smile on his face. The elevator door closed, but the man still stared as if they were still there.
"Thank you.... Thank you...."
To be continued.....